Putting
Control is key when it comes to perfect putting. From setup positions to the latest and greatest equipment, improve your game with the putting instruction articles below.
Sharpen Your Short Game The short game is where you can save the most strokes. You can hit only so many 300-yard drives or stiff iron shots from the rough or fairway. |
Why You Can’t...(and how you can) One of the great things about the game of golf is that, on occasion, all of us, even the highest handicapper, will hit a shot like a pro. It might be a well-struck drive, hitting a par-5 in two or holing out a bunker shot. |
Swing Myths and Simple Fixes I’ve seen so many different approaches to golf instruction that some things have come full circle. For every instructor who says keep your head down, another says let it turn. |
10 Best Tips(You've Never Heard) If you’ve ever received a lesson, or better yet, a series of lessons, it’s likely you’ve been told to do the same thing more than once. |
5 Ways To PuttWhich one are you? EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE INFORMATION people take in is visual. That is,what we see is most of what we know. Consider the last movie you saw. |
8-Second CountdownHow to make the most of those crucial moments before you putt. Standing over a putt for too long (and “freezing” up) can seriously impact the fluidity of your putting stroke. To make sure you don’t get this “overanalysis paralysis,” I suggest you don’t wait too long in between your last practice stroke and your actual putt. In fact, it should take you a maximum of eight seconds! Anything longer than that, and it’s hard to retain the desired feel for the putt at hand. |
On The FringeHow practicing on an arc can improve your stroke Golfers use two kinds of putting strokes: a square-to-square stroke that swings (and stays) square to the target line and an arcing stroke that travels inside the target line on the backstroke and follow through. |
Through The GatesPutting really shouldn't be any more complicated than this In my many years of teaching, I’ve read, heard, seen and been told a number of putting tips that, I feel, only serve to overcomplicate what should be a simple motion. I think putting is just rolling the ball, so I like to keep things simple. Here, I’m practicing a drill that helps me keep the ball on the right path. All I do is place two golf balls about six inches apart, and a foot in front of my ball, and then make a stroke. |
Knock It!Practice makes perfect with this simple drill Here’s another easy tip to apply the next time you’re on the putting green. Simply place a golf ball about six inches behind your ball and make a stroke. If you miss the ball (swinging either above it or to the side), then your backswing path is offline or too steep. Take a look at the illustration, and you’ll see that I actually knock the second ball as my putter swings back. |
Putting ProblemsThe top 5 mistakes you should avoid in your putting game If you look at any great player, he or she has a routine for every shot. And when it comes to putting, better players know that sticking to a routine is necessary for making consistent strokes. Now, what kind of routine should you have? That’s up to you. Just try and incorporate what I’m doing here, which is looking at the putt from behind the ball, about halfway down the putting line and one more look from behind the hole. This helps to get a clear picture of the slope and speed. All that’s left here is for me to make a couple practice strokes and hit the ball. Just remember, this is my routine because it happens to work well for me. |
Keep It Stable!Why solid putting demands a stable base. If you want to become a better putter, you have to learn to stabilize the lower body as much as possible. All great putters have a rock-steady lower half and swing the putter from above the waist. Now, deciding whether you’re a hands-driven putter or a shoulder-driven putter (or both!) is a matter of personal style, but one thing is for sure: No matter how you choose to swing with the upper body, the lower body must stay as still as possible. |
