Secrets to Making Accurate Putts
Every putt combines some basic elements… One is judging distance another is effects of the terrain and wind on the ball. Execution of your swing can't be left out. When it comes to putting, the mental calculations count more for this one shot than any other shot you will make.
Putting is 40% of your total score and you're only allowed one club in the bag that is consistent enough to sinking putts in the hole. So you need all the help you can get.
The act of putting can also prove to be more difficult from events you might never have considered, but there are ways to help yourself — good golfers pace the distance to the cup, which is one of my favorites. You must know how far you are from the cup – not guess – by feel.
It is common knowledge among pros that your approach shots to the green will leave you on an average of, 12, 24 or 36 feet from the cup. Try this on your next 18 holes you play and keep track. This is important to know as it determines how far you take the putter back on the take away. These distances are close but approximate as well, but you get my drift.
At 12 feet…
…you should spread you feet 12 inches apart and take the putter back to your right foot and back through.
At 24 feet…
…you take the putter to the outside of the right foot and back through, still your feet at 12 inches apart.
At 36 feet…
…you set your feet about 15 inches apart and take the club back about to the toe of your right foot. With a couple hours of practice, you'll develop a sound stroke and feel for the distance using a sound mechanical approach on these distances.
Another basic element is to observe the texture of the grass and which direction the grain flows from your ball towards the hole. Remember, the grass follows the sun all day due to the photosynthesis process. Grass is a living plant which needs to eat. The blades follow the sunlight and their direction has effect on how the ball rolls on the putt line.
When the grass is growing toward the hole, the ball rolls faster. Heat from the day and surface temperature of the grass also affects the speed.
Grass growing toward you causes the grain to push against the ball slowing it a bit as well as a cold surface. Types of grasses differ in thickness which speeds up or slows it down. Examples could be Bent Grass having smaller blades means faster than Fescue Grass which has thicker blades, which stands up more, slowing ball speed. A good indicator of grass that is fast is when the blades are lying down towards the sun giving the appearance of a gray sheen to the putting surface.
One tip most newer golfers forget is to repair their own divot from their ball landing on the putting surface from their approach shot. When you get in a hurry to putt, you'll forget to repair your divot and that ball mark unrepaired, will surely derail your putt or the person playing with you or behind you. It's vital to your score to repair your ball mark and others in your path. You can't just walk along your putt line and tamp down spike marks, but the rules do allow you to repair any divots in your putt line. This is part of golf etiquette and should become part of your routine.
Thank you for your visit today… I sincerely appreciate you and hope you'll come back often. You're encouraged to try my golf tips during your next outing and email back your comments – I really want to know how they worked for you. And if it's okay with you, your feedback will go on the site to benefit other golfers.
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a.k.a. Vanilla Gorilla
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