Putting Tips

This will give you a clear visual, of how to determine the distance of shoulder width apart. Use a metal locking-type tape similar to the one between my feet. Extend the tap out about 15-inches and lock it in place by pushing the button down. Extend your left arm straight out chest high, then place the tape end against the inside of your left bicep, at the arm pit. The end of the metal housing of the tape should butt up to the right bicep. You can use a friend to help with this measurement, or you may simply adjust the tape until the metal housing is close enough to the right arm pit. The metal housing adds 3-inches to your reading and once you know your distance, place that locked tape between your feet as shown at the left. Putt a few times with it between the ball of your big toes and you'll feel a new secure stance not felt before. The grip I choose here is called a single hinge grip. By placing palms away from your body, it restricts the wrists from changing direction and therefore keeps you in a positive lateral, one plane movement. I learned this in a private lesson from the great touring professional, Mr. Paul Runyan, winner of two PGA Championships 1934 and 1938, and 50 other PGA golf tournaments. He's a very nice man, who helped my putting and chipping to a new and much improved consistency.

Once I have analyzed my putting conditions, paced off the distance to the cup, and multiplied by 3 for the actual feet, I settle in to visualize the actual execution of the putt. I won't set-up to the ball until I actually see in my mind, the ball coming square off the putting face and roll to and into the cup. You'll make more putts by seeing them go in first, because your mind needs time to figure out how it needs to be done. Don't short-change yourself here — this is vital to good golf. Remember to use this technique on every shot from tee to cup. Now that I'm ready to set-up, I'll stand behind my ball visualizing my target line, as you see in the picture, as a small pair of railway tracks. Don't limit yourself to single line widths of a pencil — tracks are easier to see. Placing palms outward, I grip the club and step up to the ball, knowing I should be two-and-a-half putter heads width back from the ball, from my toe line. I'll explain how that technique works below, in those series of pictures. Place the butt-end and elbows all against the stomach, then bend forward from the hips about 35 degrees, your buttocks swinging out for balance.

Once I have committed to bending forward, you'll notice my putter does not ground itself yet. If the putter is not square to my intended target line, I'll need to make slight adjustments to the putter, but here is the real important part in alignment — extend your arms to the ground to bottom out the putter first, and then adjust your body to the putter. Never adjust your body then the putter, always the body to the putter. You will be picking a line to putt from behind the ball and if you walk up and set your feet first and then your putter, your alignment has just changed. Remember, your putter is in charge in the alignment process, not your body. When I need to make a slight adjustment, I'll make sure my putter is still on the intended line, let my grip loose and adjust my feet, knees and shoulders, and then re-grip the club, palms facing outward. It certainly makes sense that you'll be practicing this technique. These are quite different techniques which take time to change and they won't feel comfortable for a couple of weeks, so don't be discouraged. I think everyone has a certain comfort zone about how they approach the putt, so if what you do works for you, then you're not likely going to change. However, if you honestly believe your putting needs improvement and what your currently doing isn't working, or worse, you do something different every time you stand up to putt, then this technique will definitely improve your score. This is a game of life for life, so make if fun.

Alignment is one key factor to consistent putting. Let's face the facts — if your body is facing south east and your putter is facing south, you're planning a second putt already. So at the very least, have a blue print that includes a pre-shot routine to eliminate poor target alignment. My set-up includes two measurements, using the length and width of my particular model putter. I place my putter in front of the ball which sets up a consistent placement of where to place my left foot. Face of the putter to the rear is my one width. This places my ball a few inches inside my left foot. I'm also closer to my pre-determined alignment spot, which is about one foot forward of my ball. Now I've got a best view scenario of my alignment to my body. It is very important to position my eyes over the ball and my toe line must be so many inches from the target line that runs through the ball to the cup. To actually accomplish this set-up, I will need to practice using an instrument such as my putter, to give me the distance required. You can see from this picture that I begin by setting my putter down, along my toe line, using the inside edge closest to me, and visually locating the opposite side closest to the ball. This will be where I reset the putter again in the picture that follows. This would be considered using the length of my putter to determine the lengths needed.

Once you have practiced this on the practice green a few times, you'll get comfortable knowing the process, so you'll be setting your putter in front of the ball first, all the while staring at your target line and then adjusting your body to the putter at that position, followed by setting both feet comfortably, before placing the putter behind the ball. Once set, I'm in a position to make my putt. I'm also able to pull the putter head back towards the toe line to practice any additional practice stokes or breathing required. This picture shows that I'm setting the putter down for the second position to practice the picture in my mind of what a good alignment set-up looks like. Things get distracting out on the course, so you need a plan to keep your confidence moving through the pre-shot routine. This is not a step-by-step you'll be using out on the course per say, but more of a practice drill to know when your alignment falters. Great practice drill to build confidence.

This is where you have determined the final distance from your toe line, to the target line. In my instance, I have determined that two-and-a-half putter lengths puts my eyes over the ball and target line. With several practice sessions, you'll find your own target line set-up and feel much more prepared to set-up to the putt the same way every time. This is in addition to one more glitch removed from your game that robs you of consistency, which equates to strokes saved on the score card. Now isn't that being more in control of your putting than wondering every time which set-up is going to work today? This set-up I'm using here is with some short golf tees and yellow string, to allow me to see the potential width of the target line. If you stop and think, just about everybody has been trained or told, that their line from the ball to the hole is an imaginary line, so look for that and it will help you putt. I say rubbish… get plural here and look at both sides of the cup — there are two lines. Look closely at both strings, anything inside them is in the cup.

This is a frontal view of what to expect when in a drill session. This particular session will tell you what your alignment is doing in relationship from body to putter. It will force you physically to practice good posture and that promotes good balance. It places your ball in the proper position to be impacted at the bottom of your putting stroke which rolls the ball. The drill promotes a solid back and through stroke by using the two tees to putt through twice before contact with the ball. It reminds you of a two line target line rather than thinking about one small one. Think if you were to paint between those two yellow strings, solid white paint 4-inches wide, which is the width of the cup. Makes looking at that target line seem easy now, huh? These are only six benefits I've given you, that you probably would never consider thinking about, and if you're already thinking of them, this will only remind you of their importance. I'm attempting to help you think outside the box, which is not so universally popular when teaching golf. The results of this drill have me in a solid foundation, eyes clearly over the ball and target line. My body is in sync with my putter and the toe line is in check with my knees and shoulders. Back of my left wrist has lead on the club and squared to the hole. This drill assists me in a same set-up mentality on the course.

This next step in the drill requires very little movement, as I stroke the putt. When it's time for me to pull the trigger, I will have mentality given myself permission, because I have completed the pre-shot routine, done some slow breathing and felt relaxed enough to start the stroke. When this occurs, I will be fairly motionless. I simplify my stroke, by using my right hand; forearm and elbow, to pull straight back over the target line like pulling on a bow string. I simply return the string to its original position and allow a rocking of my shoulders, similar in movement as to how a sea-saw would function. This keeps my lower section from any leg movement and allows a natural acceleration through impact. This is similar to the chipping technique I explained in my chipping article. The difference being, I'm not 30 degrees open at address or standing with 75 percent of my weight on my left leg. The great visual you get here, is to be steady back and through without hitting the tees.

On a short putt such as this one, I occasionally shift my right hand to palm forward, in order to control a steady and short pull-push effect. I purposely use the single hinge set-up of my wrists, which is for consistency and that performs the best. To promote that feel out on the course, I'll place the left thumb on the front side of the grip and the right thumb on the back side of the grip, which really sets your wrists. You can still have the palms facing away from you and thumbs on top, but it weakens the grip. Here again, as you see the ball drop in the hole, my stroke will finish at 5 o'clock, which is about the extension of the right arm at the end of the putt. If you use a short popping type stroke, it allows the ball to start rolling quickly and I see a few pros using that move. Unless you're a pro, I don't really recommend anything but straight back and forward motion. You should focus on completing your stroke and not have any body movement until soon after contact is made on the ball. Try this drill and it will improve your score.

This is a similar set-up to the golf tees and string drill I showed you above. This is something you'll be able to set-up quickly to practice at your home course. Start an engrained habit of proper alignment, stance, eye contact, posture, and stroke, to thereby eliminate some or all the bad habits you are performing now. One bad habit will produce another and another, and so on. So use this drill and you will begin to see a new performance in your new putting style. You fear less on the course when you can see the hole from a different view than the week before. This type of mental re-programming, just simply replaces old bad habits, so practice this drill in a circular motion with confidence and try to understand it takes about one month to change an engrained habit. You'll need 9 balls to set this up and all you do is take your set-up and put the ball in the hole. When you're stroking properly, is when the ball goes in the hole between the two other balls and your putter follows, as well, without hitting the balls. Set the two balls at least 4-inches apart, but enough so your putter clears the balls. This produces guaranteed results.

While you practice this putting drill format, you will either make the putts or not. So if and when you miss a putt that will indicate to you, that your body could very well be out of alignment with your putter. Remember that you must align your putter first to the target line. That shouldn't be a problem for you now, because I showed you how to visualize the 4-inch wide target line from the hole back to your ball. Remember the string drill? So re-check that your body; toes, knees and shoulders, are parallel to the intended line of the putt. If you pull the putt left it will just miss, if your setup is wrong as well, you will pull left quickly and hit the ball on the left. Now you know why this drill is so helpful. It addresses so many variables out on the course that you don't think about. Remember this, for your game to change you must change your game. It starts with the person pulling the trigger — and that is you.

Here is an example of a severe downhill, hard break to the right putt. There is nothing but fear for most new golfers on how to make this putt. It's fast and has about 4-feet of left to right break and runs quickly to the cup. If you were to figure this has just some break and hope it stops close, it won't be close and you'll still be up to putt next. So we need a plan to execute. This is why I have placed string at the starting point of my target line. It will help to take you through the steps of what you're looking for and that will help determine the speed. You need to pace off the distance to the cup on the high side of the break, and then multiply by three to determine your approximate distance in feet. Once on the opposite side of the hole, look more at speed to the hole and amount of slope coming from the ball to the hole and where you feel the high point or center break is, then you can see a better picture of when the ball will begin to run downhill to the cup. So to lay it out briefly, see where the putt starts out, where it needs to slow down and when it needs to break for the hole. This is the key to making the putt.

I paced this out to a 16 feet 6 inch putt. I noticed that from the opposite side of the hole it starts to break downhill about 8-feet out, which means on this demonstration, I need to just miss the last tee in the ground on the left. The speed has to be consistent out about the 8-feet then it will turn and run downhill at an angle while still breaking right. This means I need to carry that speed the full 8-feet and time the speed to die at that point and start turning down to the flag. I realize from observing the putt previously from the opposite side of the hole, I would experience the ball starting to flatten out as it approached the cup. I am only focusing on half the distance to the hole as being the most accurate, because after that it will free fall to the hole.

The putt is out and on its way and I have relaxed into my stance, club at rest. I'm watching that the first distance of the putt was what I had visualized at the pre-shot routine and now I'm living the moment. I was correct on my judgment for distance control and break for the first 8-feet. After this amount of speed and break and timing had all been realized, I watch as the terrain takes over in its free fall. I really don't have any control once the ball dies at the apex of my curve. I'm subject to playing conditions of the green now because the ball is either going to speed up or slow down, depending on its speed at which it was moving when it turned. This can be extremely difficult on certain grasses at certain times of the year. Downhill puts on tightly mowed bent grass can travel 20-feet past the hole on a warm day. This condition didn't exist on this putt, but the break was an honest four-and-a-half feet. Some days are better than others, but here is a solid working plan for you blue print, which you can take the course with confidence.

This particular putt came 2-inches from dropping in the cup. Yes luck is also part of this game; however, it's one privilege you can't pay for with any money. It just seems to happen more, when you have a plan in place. The point of this drill was to set yourself up into a difficult scenario — to put your mind in a squeeze situation. I ask you to practice this way, because I know you normally won't spend the time necessary to practice this type of shot during regular practice time. That is because you actually feel you'll deal with it when the problem comes your way during a $75 dollar round of golf. I say make the practice time worth your effort by taking all the bad lies and problems you have during the regular round and play them out over and over again in practice, to take the fear out of your situations you'll find out there. Make your golf mind take command of a bad putting situation and practice it until you're so confident, that you hope to find that same situation while playing golf with your friends. This is when your golf becomes fun and you'll just laugh at the putt, while saying, hey no biggie, I've done this tons of times. I truly hope you enjoyed this section of Putting – a Means to an End and hope you share my site with all your friends and email buddies.