Wednesday, November 11, 2009
5 Ways To Putt
Which one are you?
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 WHAT HE SEES |
When the “line-to-spot putter” reads his putt from behind the hole, he sees a line going from the ball to the hole. When he stands over the ball, he sees a straight line extending down his target line that ends at a spot where he wants his ball to finish. He holds a picture of the spot as he strokes his putt.
When you read your putt from behind the ball, visually track the line from your ball toward the hole. Then choose an intermediate target on your line four to five inches in front of your ball. Aim the brand’s logo or a line on your ball at that intermediate target.
When you stand over the ball, adjust your setup until it visually appears that the line drawn on your ball goes right through your intermediate target. Visually continue to extend that line to a spot that’s the same distance you want your ball to roll. Adjust the spot accordingly to control your speed for uphill and downhill putts.
| HOW TO PRACTICE IT |
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| I’ve chosen an intermediate target and aimed my ball at it. Now I rehearse my stroke and visualize the line extending from my ball to the hole. |
Next I make sure my putter is aimed at the spot and my body is parallel to the target line. |
I extend my target line through my intermediate target to a spot just beyond the hole (my putt’s a little uphill). Note how I’m planning for it to break to the left. |
I make a smooth stroke and hold my finish. Note how I haven’t peeked to see where my ball’s heading. This one looks good! |
 WHAT HE SEES |
The “line putter” sees the curved line along which his ball will roll from address until it falls in the hole. On a flat putt and during his putting stroke, he has an image—in his mind’s eye—of the ball entering the cup; on a downhill putt, the line ends short of the hole; and on an uphill putt, the line goes through the hole.
Aim your ball’s logo (or the line you’ve drawn on it) at a spot four or five inches in front of your ball that’s on your intended target line. Once you’re satisfied that it’s appropriately lined up, trace a line from your ball through the spot and onward toward the hole.
When you putt, the ball should roll over the spot and follow the imaginary line you’ve created toward the hole. A strong visual image will help control your ball’s speed. Remember, the clearer the picture in your mind’s eye, the better your speed control. Also it’s important to know that your putt will travel the same distance as your last visual focus. Adjust your line for uphill and downhill putts to accommodate your desired speed.
| HOW TO PRACTICE IT |
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| I’ve decided on my line and chosen an intermediate target a few inches from my ball. From here, I aim the ball’s logo at it. |
Next, I make sure I aim my putter at the spot and trace a line through it just short of the hole (I have a downhill putt here and don’t want to hit it too hard). |
I make a smooth stroke and putt the ball so it rolls along the imaginary line I created when I lined up. My eyes look at the spot where the ball was. |
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