Putting is an essential part of golf scoring. It’s the most important part of golf that is itself a game. To be a great golfer, you must have the ability to putt well.
For a second, think of the putter as if it were another tool in your arsenal. For a typical round of 18 holes, you will use your putter only twice per hole. Your putter and you will be able to influence your overall golf score 36 times! Is your driver going to be hit 36 times? Or your 7 iron 36 times? Not hardly.
Even with these overwhelming stats, it is clear that most golfers of mid and higher handicap don’t put enough effort into their putting. It is your putter that will most quickly improve your game. Imagine how much you can save by making consistent 4-6 foot putts, and not three! This is a difference of going from 100-100 to 90, 90 or even 90 to 80 on the golf course. It’s a huge difference.
We can now focus our enthusiasm on improving our putting and get back to work. Let’s look at some tips that might help.
In your stance, position the ball slightly in front of your foot (towards your frontfoot). Keep your eyes slightly in front of the ball. You will have a clear view line from this point to the intermediate target of your putting line.
Grip is how you feel when you are putting the ball in your hands. There are many grips available. It is important to remember that the stroke should be performed with your hands only. Through a motion called a “pendulum” (or shoulder movement), the putting stroke is initiated and implanted. It is not your hands. Choose a grip that feels good to you, and you feel comfortable during the putt.
Pick a target that lies just in front of your ball once you’ve committed to your putter line. Visualize an imaginary line from your goal line to your ball that passes through the ball, and then through the middle of your putter. Your putter’s face should be perfectly aligned with your line. This is the most important step to ensure your vision remains clear.
As with all your golf swings rhythm is the key to the putting stroke. The stroke is achieved by a pendulum movement of your shoulders. You need to reduce all body movements and keep the stroke moving with your head. Your chances of your putter’s face moving off-center to your line will increase if your head or body moves.
Finally, you should always aim to maintain the same stroke distance through the ball and the same tempo as when using the ball. You should aim for equal stroke length through and back with your putting stroke.
The quickest and easiest way to begin shave strokes from your golf score is to allocate a percentage of your practice time for your putting stroke. You can immediately reduce your score by eliminating one putt per hole. That’s a great return on your putter.