Tip of the Month
15 minute drill
Roll in long putts from the very first green with this pre-round putting routine!
We might be excused to think that five minutes spent bashing balls into a driving range net is sufficient preparation for our weekly round of golf. But whilst the body may be warmed up for the long shots, it’s likely that your putting stroke and feel for the greens won’t be up to scratch when you need it for that opening par putt.
So spend 15 minutes before you tee off working on the major aspects of your game on the greens, especially if putting is your golfing Achilles heel. Follow these quick warm-up drills and your judgement of pace and ability to roll the ball on line will be ready right from the off.
Work on your pace 4 minutes
Place a shaft 10 inches behind the ball and putt from between 6-12 feet. Your ball must never finish short or jump over the shaft. Try putting four balls from one distance and then change. As an extension, try putting just one ball to the target from different distances, achieving the same goal. Remember, your putting grip should restrict wrist hinge and promote a rocking motion from the shoulders so try having your left index finger down the shaft.
Eyes closed 3 minutes
Choose the line of a lengthy putt, address your ball and then make the stroke with your eyes closed. This will help you feel how to control your distances with your body, rather than just by sight.
Line drill 5 minutes
Getting your ball rolling on the line you’ve picked is crucial to holing more putts. So find a straight, 10-foot putt and place a ball marker or coin three feet in front of ball on the line you’ve chosen. Then practice hitting putts over the marker. Don’t be put off if the ball wobbles off the marker and misses, as on the course your ball be rolling on line and drop in!
Centre striking 3 minutes
This is an old tip but a good’un that’s still used by a lot of the pros on Tour. It’s great for getting a more central strike on the ball with your putter. Off-centre strikes with longer clubs cause mis-direction and loss of distance - it’s the same with a putter! Place two tees either side of your putter head, leaving a 2mm gap either side. Place your ball just in front of the tees. Try putting to various distance targets making sure putter goes through the gate without striking the tees.
Courtesy of Today's Golfer.