Putting with a Purpose

Cheryl A. Brankel, PGA Professional

Whenever I ask someone that is trying to lower his or her scores, “How is your putting?” They usually reply, “I'm pretty good at putting.” If you really want to lower your scores, putting is the first place to look. Putting accounts for over 40% of your total score. If you could save yourself three putts a side, that's six strokes! That is the difference between shooting in the 100' s to shooting in the 90's, or 90's to the 80's.

Next time you are playing a round, keep track of your putts. See how many three putts you have in a round. Also, keep track of the length of your initial putt. If you are three putting because you are not getting it close enough on the first try, you will need to work on your distance. Remember that putting is about distance and direction. If you putt it the right distance and the direction “they” will go in!

Break down your putts. Try to get that first putt to a comfortable distance away from the hole. On long putts, I try to putt to within six feet from the hole. When I practice I work on my long putting and putts that are six feet and closer to the hole.

The best advice I received about putting was be comfortable over a putt and believe it is going in the hole. Have you ever stood over a putt and knew you were going to make it? The power of positive thinking! Now, about being comfortable, everything must feel right if you are going to make that putt. Your set-up, alignment, ball position, and grip are just right. Then you just stroke it and it goes in! Well, it might not be that easy, but here are some tips that will make it easy.

SET - UP
• BE COMFORTABLE.
• Grip, stance width, ball position, posture, and stance line are all personal to everyone.
• Establish a pre-shot routine for your putting. Start with reading the greens. Kneel down and look at the putt. Do you see any undulations in the putting green? Is it uphill or down hill? Next, use a line on your ball to help your alignment. You can draw a line or use the words on the ball to aim to your target when putting. When taking a practice swing, look at the hole. This will give you an idea of how hard to hit the putt.

BASIC FUNDAMENTALS

You may use any grip that is comfortable to you. Many PGA and LPGA tour players use the reverse overlapping grip (see photo at left). Grip pressure can be firm or light so long as it remains constant. Ball position should be slightly left of center. Stance width is a personal preference. If it is windy, widen your stance to stay balanced not buffeted by the wind. Your alignment must be square to the target line. This means your body will be aligned parallel left of your target. Bend forward so eyes are directly over the ball. This is very important to see the line (see photo at right).

MOTION
1. The shoulders and arms move together in a pendulum motion. The hands remain quiet (see photo at left).
2. Keep the head and lower body still and listen for the ball to fall in the hole.
3. Distance control is the most important factor; this comes by varying the length of the swing not the pace (power) of the swing.
4. When taking practice swings, look at the hole. This helps to get a feel for the distance. If you are putting uphill, look beyond the hole. If you are putting downhill look in front of the hole.

DRILLS
• Look at the hole drill. Line up a putt, and while looking at the hole, putt the ball to the hole. This will help your distance control.
• Circle drill. Line up 5 or 6 balls around the hole about 2 feet away to start. Pick a starting point and putt all the balls into the hole. If you miss a putt, you must start all over again! If you make them all, make the circle bigger to get within your comfort zone.
• Ladder drill. Take 5 or 6 balls and place them in a line about 3 feet apart moving away from the hole. Start with the ball closest to the hole and putt all the balls. This will increase your feel for distance.

Try to putt 10, 20 or 30 in a row before you leave the putting green.

One last tip, if you spend 30 or 40 minutes on your full swing, spend at least that much if not more on your putting. I know you’ll make more putts and lower those scores.