Golf Instruction Blog » Putting Smart

Lightening Greens

Admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:35:56 +0000

As it is, golf can be hard enough without courses making it even more difficult for the average player. One way this is done is with super fast greens. Amateur players can be intimidated very easily when facing slick surfaces, for that matter, it’s no different for pros. The key to playing on fast greens is to allow your approach shot to land on the front side of the green.

Most greens slope from back to front so that if you land on the front-side you will have a desirable uphill putt. Anywhere else can be treacherous. The key word is “delicate.” You hit all of your short chips and pitches in an extremely delicate fashion. Try to land in a 3 foot diameter around the cup.

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Coping With Fast Putts

Admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 15:59:15 +0000

photo credit: rioncm With downhill putts or on fast greens, you cannot afford to make an abrupt or jerky stroke. All of your movements have to be smooth in order to maximize control and to improve your chances of trickling the ball into the cup. For downhill putts, it is not advisable to hit the ball hard enough as to go past the hole.

In order to slow the ball down, try striking it towards the toe of the clubface. Since you won’t be striking the ball on the sweet-spot, less energy will be expended on impact. In doing so, you can strike the ball with your regular stroke (as if the green were flat) and get the appropriate distance to lag the putt to the hole.

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Ball Movement

Admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 15:35:12 +0000

photo credit: danperry.com When a ball is at rest on the green, it tends to nestle down into the grass. The goal is to allow the putter to “lift” the ball from it’s grassy bed and put “forward” motion on the ball (spin). If the ball is not lifted from it’s position, it will jump and/or skid across the green. Also, if the ball is hit with reverse rotation, it will come to a stop much sooner.

If you hands are too far forward at impact, the loft of the club will be decreased. Reducing the loft unintentionally will not not create the proper forward spin and momentum. This will also make it more difficult for the clubface to lift the ball from it’s grassy bed.

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Putting Dynamics

Admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 15:17:24 +0000

photo credit: Philip Larson The putting stroke must be in an arc: inside going back - to square – inside going forward. A few PGA Tour players have subscribed to keeping the putter going in a straight line in their stroke. Eventually, they became aware that this type of stroke can lead to serious putting woes.

The more natural the stroke, the more likelihood to bring the putter-face back to square at impact. The putting stroke is an arc that rotates around the body. Remember the following: 1) Your legs do not move > movement causes a sway. 2) Your head does not move > if the head moves so does the body. 3) Your hands do not move > they maintain a square clubface through impact.

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Putting Rudiments #2

Admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:46:15 +0000

photo credit: rioncm How hard you hit a putt usually determines success or failure on the putting green. Distance is always determined by the length of your putting stroke, primarily the backstroke. Bobby Jones once said “the backstroke for a long putt should be long enough.” The putting stroke should be smooth and steady to gain consistency.

To encourage a smooth putting stroke, remain very relaxed over the ball. Maintain very light grip pressure which relieves the tension in your wrists and arms.

Keep in mind the 2 inch rule: take the putter back two inchs for every foot of distance from the cup. For a 2 foot putt, take the club back 4 inches and so on. There is no need to make a long backswing for short putts.

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Putting Rudiments #1

Admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:21:21 +0000

photo credit: flurdy If your approach lands more than 30 feet from the cup, concentrate on making two putts, not one. Doing so is a tension reliever. If you three putt the green, the third putt is a wasted stroke. The real problem is judging distance. Try the following:

A. Pick a target. Draw an imaginary 6 foot circle around the cup in your minds eye. If you hit your target you won’t have any more than a 3 foot putt. B. Check the surface of the green, take several practice strokes to get a feel for how hard to hit the ball. C. Aim for the spot where the break is at it’s extreme, because of it’s speed, the ball won’t break much in the first few feet.

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Adjust Your Putting Stroke

Admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:34:22 +0000

photo credit: fredcamino It’s fair to say that the biggest problem most amateurs face on the putting green is their ability to judge distance. Most three-putt greens are caused from lack of distance control than for any other reason. Judging distance isn’t really rocket science.

Distance is all about controlling the swing of your putter. Swinging the putter at a consistent speed is critical when it comes to judging distance. Distance should be controlled by how far the putter is taken back. The forward swing should be the same distance as the backswing. For short putts make a shorter swing and for long putts make a longer swing.

Next time on the practice green don’t aim for the cup, place tee’s in the green at five foot increments and just work on distance control.

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The Short Putt

Admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:06:40 +0000

photo credit: OCVA There is nothing more embarrassing than to miss a 3 foot putt after hitting a 285 yard drive and sticking your approach shot to within 3 feet of the cup for a birdie try. On top of all that, your opponents are there watching intently. A missed 3 footer can sometimes demoralize a golfer and literally wreck their round if they allow it to.

There are several reasons for missing short putts: stress, trying to steer the ball, the jitters (yips), hitting the ball off of the toe or heel of the putter and many others. Try the following: (1) Take time to study the putt. (2) Make a very smooth stroke. (3) Make a shorter backstoke. (4) Hit the putt squarely on the sweet spot of the putter.

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Playing the Break

Admin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:09:23 +0000

photo credit: star5112 Putting Essentials: 1) Direction 2) length 3) head steadiness. If, and only if, you abide by those three prerequisites can you begin to devote your attention to “the roll of the green.”

One of the most important things to remember, when playing a breaking putt, is to miss on the high side.” If the putt breaks from left to right, make plenty of allowance for the break. As the ball approaches the hole and slows, if it’s played high enough, it just may dribble into the hole. If you don’t play enough break the ball misses the hole on the right with no chance of dropping.

One of the biggest problems on every breaking putt is not playing enough break.

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Plumb-Bob Your Putt

Admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:40:22 +0000

photo credit: star5112 A. Determine which is your dominant eye. Don’t assume that it’s the same as your dominant hand. B. Stand behind your ball, looking directly toward the hole. C. Hold your putter loosely from the top so that it hangs freely and the line of the shaft runs through the middle of your ball (or ball marker). D. Look at the shaft and the hole with your dominant eye. If the hole appears to the right of the shaft, the putt breaks right; if it appears to the left, the putt breaks left.

Dominant Eye: Outstretch arms and form a triangle with your thumbs and forefingers. Look through the triangle at a distant object. Without moving your hands, close each eye alternately. The eye that keeps the object in the triangle is your dominant eye.

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Golf Instruction Blog » Putting Smart

Lightening Greens

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Coping With Fast Putts

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Ball Movement

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Putting Dynamics

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Putting Rudiments #2

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Putting Rudiments #1

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Adjust Your Putting Stroke

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The Short Putt

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Playing the Break

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Plumb-Bob Your Putt

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