• 
• 
• 

Hit Shots Like A Pro

Quick Tips From The Tour

This Article Features Photo Zoom

My eyes are right over the ball, even after impact. This helps me swing on-line and with a body-driven stroke.

Steve Flesch
See The Coin
It’s simple: Better putting comes from better fundamentals. I play with dozens of amateurs during pro-ams, and one of the places I see a lot of them lose sight of important fundamentals is on the putting green. When putting, no matter what type of stroke you may have, it’s critical that you maintain a level head above the ball, well through impact. This helps you keep the putter on-line and promotes a smooth, rhythmic putting stroke.

NO

A simple drill to help train your head is to practice putting with the ball placed on top of a coin. Find a coin (a ballmark works well, too) and set up with your normal stance. As you make the stroke, make sure you keep your eyes stationed over the ball. After impact, you should still be staring straight down, only this time you’re looking directly at the coin.  Obviously, this drill can’t be used on the golf course, but it’s a simple trick to help station your head effectively and enable your body to swing the putter in a smooth and controlled motion. Furthermore, you can apply a similar approach for full shots, and be sure you see the tee or divot mark after impact. That helps, too.

If you move your head while putting, you’re Likely to drift the putterhead offline. Station your eyes over the ball and make sure you see the coin after impact. Do This and You’ll see and hear more putts rattle the bottom of the cup.




Kevin Streelman
Match The Slope
Make no bones about it, hitting a delicate pitch shot from a downhill lie isn’t easy. It’s a tough shot, especially if you don’t know how to address this scenario. To improve your odds, the key is to distribute your weight so that your knees and shoulders best match the slope of the ground. In the photos, I have to put a large amount of weight on my forward leg to accomplish this. Then, when making a stroke, it’s imperative that you swing parallel to the ground. Don’t try and scoop or lift it, since that could lead to either fat or skulled shots. When in doubt, always swing along the ground for the best results.

Add Comment