How to Putt | Golf Putter Prowess

Golf Putting Tip: The One-Two Stroke Thought Improves Distance Control and Fixes Yips

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Symptom: Your putts from longer range are more-or-less on line, but often end up way past the hole, or way short. So you three putt a lot. As you tally your score, you mention your three-putts too, as in "I shot a 93, but I must have had six three-putts. Take those away and I'm at 87..." Your buddies sort of nod their heads in understanding, but of course everybody knows your score is 93, not 87.

Overview: After aligning your ball on your intended line, focus only your putting stroke execution by using the One-Two Stroke Thought: Say (to yourself) "One" as you take away your putter, and say "Two" as you hit the ball.

Why it works: All golf shots have three main phases: The aiming, the alignment, and the execution, in that order. Most Occasional Golfers inter-mix, or ignore, or sometimes forget to do all three of the phases.

Putting is no different than a full shot, or a chip, or a pitch -- there is the aiming, the alignment, and the execution. However, most high handicappers do not approach putting this way. They sort of "hit and hope". This lack of systematic routine leads to inconsistency, lots of three-putts, and big numbers on your scorecard.

Of course everybody reads the break in their putts (aiming). Better players can read the pace and factor that in as well. Still better players align their ball properly. The really good players can do it all, and then execute the shot, to avoid the dreaded three putt. The execution is the key here. The "One-Two" Stroke Thought can help you execute a good putting stroke.

Why do you need a Stroke Thought at all? Left without a task, your mind will wander and start second-guessing your aim, or your alignment. Or maybe you'll start thinking about the wind, or the comprehensive summary and recommendation report that's due at work tomorrow, or about the business trip you need to take next week, or whatever. But all of that stuff doesn't matter right now. Right now, you need to execute this putting stroke, and saying "One - Two" helps you stay in the moment.

The "One" is all about eliminating tension in your stroke. Focusing on saying "One" as you take away your putter gives you something to do, and can help you avoid the common fault of watching your putter instead of the ball. It's an anchor point for your stroke. And, of course "One" comes before "Two", so you need to say "One" first.

The "Two" helps you stay calm and focused thoughout your stroke. Anticipating the moment your putter strikes the ball and saying "Two" at that precise moment is a calming experience. You are a detached third party looks on, a narrator to the drama, who is tasked with saying "two" at the right time. This detachment restores your confidence and perspective about the putt, and can give you that elusive commodity, "feel" or "touch".

Here's a chance to practice: Watch Steve Stricker putt, and say "One" on the takeaway and "Two" as Stricker strikes the ball. It just feels right, doesn't it? Have a look:

The One-Two Stroke Thought can also prevent a short, jerky putting stroke, or the "yips". The yippy stroke leaves the putterhead open at impact, pushing your ball to the right of the cup and leaving it short, or pulling it left and hitting it way past the cup. Your detached, narrator mind knows when that putterhead should hit the ball. The great thing is, if you hit the ball at that precise time, your putterhead will be square to the target line. The One-Two Stroke Thought, then, provides some feedback to you that helps you slow down your stroke, and avoid making a jerky, inconsistent and "yippy" stroke.

As you watch the pros on TV putt, say "One-Two" as they putt. You can get quite good at saying "Two" at just the right time. If a pro surprises you and hits the ball before you say "Two", often they just hit a really bad putt. The commentators will often say something like "that stroke didn't look quite right to me". Try it the next time you're watching golf on TV! It makes the telecast more fun to watch, and gives you extra practice that you can apply the next time you get on the course!

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Golf Putting Tip: Downhill Putts Break More Than Uphill Putts

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 02:21:00 +0000

Symptom: Poor putting on downhill putts, especially missing downhill putts on the low side of the hole because, yet again, you have underestimated the break. "Wow, I didn't see that break!" you say to your playing partners, while shaking your head and walking over to mark your ball yet again...

Description: Play more break than you normally would on downhill putts. That slow-rolling ball is going to break more than you think coming down the hill!

Why it works: Downhill putts need to be struck more softly than flat or uphill putts in order for the ball to finish eighteen inches past the hole. Gravity, you know. Since the ball is rolling more slowly, the slope of the green will affect the ball more, causing the ball to break more than you might expect.

For an excellent (and fun) demonstration of this, have a look at Nick Faldo's putt for birdie at the 2009 Masters Par 3 tournament. Watch Nick's uphill putt -- there is almost no break going uphill (0:04). But then watch as the ball moves back downhill -- there is almost six inches of break coming downhill before Faldo's slow-rolling ball finally drops (0:12).

Of course Augusta National's lightning-fast greens exaggerate the effect beyond what the Occasional Golfer is likely to see, but the point still stands -- downhill putts have more break because the ball rolls more slowly, and gravity therefore has a larger effect on the ball's path.

Thanks to Sir Nick Faldo for this outstanding demonstration of uphill and downhill putting!

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Golf Putting Tip: Straight Putts Still Need a Target to Aim At

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:01:00 +0000

Symptom: Straight, or nearly straight, putts are missed far too often. You can often be hear muttering things like "I sure didn't see that break," or "Must've hit something," or "Did my ball bounce?" after your straight putt leaks off to one side or the other on it's way past the hole.

Description: Always pick a particular piece of grass, or mark, or something, in the back of the cup to aim at. Never just "aim at the hole", that is too general.

Why it Works: During your round, there are very few truly straight putts -- most are inside right, left center, left edge, whatever the case may be. Just be sure to pick a spot on the back of the hole to aim at. The act of picking a specific target to aim at decouples the act of reading the putt with the act of striking the putt. You should not be reading the putt, or even thinking about the read, as you hit the putt. Instead focus on making a good stroke with proper pace and listening for the ball to drop on each and every putt.

After all, a putt with a lot of break demands that you pick a target to aim at. Don't alter this routine just because you (fortunately) have a straight putt! Pick a target for those too! You will stay in your routine and rhythm, and get to write down lower numbers on your scorecard!

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Copyright 2012-present, HowPutt.com, All Rights Reserved.

Golf Putting Tip: Don't Let Your Golf Ball Line Wobble

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:18:00 +0000

Symptom: Your putts leak off to the right, and short, all too often. "Where did that break come from?" you wonder aloud. Of course your playing companions know that you swipe the ball and so all your putts leak to the right. They look away whenever you putt so as not to foul up their reads...

Description: After you line up your ball's line on your putting line, strike your putt so that the line does not wobble as the ball rolls to the hole.

Why it works: In order to keep the line on your golf ball from wobbling as it rolls, you must strike the putt with no sidespin. Sidespin causes the ball to lose speed, and fall off the intended line. Sidespin is bad, it is your enemy. It comes from "swiping" the blade across the golf ball, so that (for a right-handed player) the ball ends up short and to the right of the cup, rather than past the hole (or in the hole, of course).

No wobble on this ball

Let's have Tiger show us the right way to roll the ball. Pay attention to the line on his ball as it drops into the cup -- stop the video at 3:05 -- see the faint vertical line on the ball? That's the line he used to line up the putt. It didn't wobble until the very end as the ball slipped into the hole. Have a look:

The great thing about this putting tip is that it's not technical, and it gives you an easy means to diagnose your putting. That is, if your line is wobbling, you are doing something wrong that you'd better straighten out before you go try and "fix" anything else. It's almost "step one" when troubleshooting your putting stroke. I recommend you go try the balls in a line drill until you get things back on track.

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Golf Putting Drill: Use the Surround the Cup Putting Drill to Master the Short Breaking Putt

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:21:00 +0000

Symptom: Missed short putts when there's a little bit of break, with the cup cut into a slight hill. You often mutter things like, "I thought it would break more" or "where did all that break come from" or "maybe I pushed it" or "get there" or "slow down" or perhaps less printable things...

Overview: On the putting green, pick a cup on a slight hill, and surround it with several balls in a circle. Start just a foot or two away from the cup and gradually work to wider and wider circles. Read and sink each putt as you circle the cup.

Phil Mickelson shows us how it's done (thanks Phil):

Why it works: Even though we know logically that downhill putts are faster and have more break, and uphill putts are slower and have less break, it is something you must experience firsthand to really internalize. This drill is a great way to prove it to yourself so you can execute better on the course. By keeping the length of the putt constant but varying the amount of break you need to play, you will get a better feel for how to read and execute short breaking putts. Gradually your short putting and your confidence will improve. You will find that your performance on this drill improves when your misses on are on the high side of the hole, and end up about 18 inches past the hole.

Jim Furyk knows the power of this drill too. He has a slight variation on the drill -- his caddie puts the ball about two inches from a tee as he circles the hole, making the putts. This placement combines some aspects of the starting gate tee drill with the surround the cup drill. Have a look:

Another benefit of this drill is that you will improve your ability to read the putts of your playing partners, and apply this learning to your putt! So, for example, if your buddy has a similar length putt from the other side of the hole, you will know how your putt is likely to roll based on his putt, because you've already hit both putts in the Surround the Cup Putting Drill on the practice green!

Did you like this drill? Think you can emulate Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk on the practice green next time out? Bookmark, Tweet it, Like it, email it -- spread the word! And don't miss the next one--sign up for free updates too!

Copyright 2012-present, How to Putt, HowPutt.com, All Rights Reserved.

Golf Putting Tip: Miss Your Putts Past the Hole

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Symptom: Missing your putts short of the hole, and yelling "hit the %&#@ ball" at yourself as you watch your ball stop short of the hole yet again. It's the ultimate golf sin (as your buddies helpfully remind you) .

Description: All your missed putts, no matter what the distance, should always finish about 18 inches past the hole (on the high side).

Why it works: When you ensure that your golf ball ends up past the hole about 18 inches, you accomplish many things:

You ensure your putt has a chance to go in. Putts that do not get to the hole cannot go in. Obviously. But there are more reasons that you may not have thought of.
By putting the proper pace on your putts, you minimize the effects of bumps and marks on the green, the grain of the green, the wind blowing your ball around, and so on. All these nonideal things affect a slow-rolling golf ball much more than a fast-rolling golf ball. The net result is that you will probably make more putts than you otherwise would have
In the (unfortunate) event that you miss your putt, but it rolls past the hole on the high side, you will at least have a clear idea of the break and pace of your next putt. If you leave it short you can't really be sure what the ball does around the hole.

Rickie Fowler shows us how to have misses wind up past the hole (good), but unfortunately his misses go much farther than 18 inches past the hole (bad). Rickie pays dearly for his mistake -- he four-putts from about five feet. Admittedly the greens at this course have a lot of subtle breaks, and are lightning-fast. Fortunately his miscue didn't cost him any Ryder Cup points, just a little embarrassment. Have a look:

Does this tip help you hole out more short putts? Do you promise to have all your misses wind up past the hole? Then tell your friends! Share, +1, Email, Like, or Bookmark below!

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Golf Putting Tip: Walk to the Cup and Back For Better Reads on Long Putts

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:45:00 +0000

Symptom: Poor distance control on long putts. The all too frequent "You're still away" after hitting your lag putt, and the sad square or double-square on your scorecard due to yet another three-putt.

Overview: Always walk all the way to the cup (or past the cup) and back to your ball on your approximate line before putting.

Why it works: Most Occasional Golfers focus on the line of their putt and not the distance or speed of their putt. As a result, most of us will miss long putts (greater than about 20 feet) either short or long far more often than right or left. By walking to the cup and back, you get a tangible feel for how far away the hole is, whether the putt is uphill or downhill, how much break there is, and so forth. Your sense of balance is a powerful tool to help you read the green. Notice which way you need to lean to stay upright, and you will learn more about the slope and pitch of the green. You can use this information to judge your putt a bit better.

Have a look at Tiger's read of this birdie putt to win Bay Hill in 2008. He reads the line from behind the cup (0:25) and then walks back to his ball on his approximate line (0:46). This is no accident--he does this to get the feel of both the break and the slope of the putt, in addition to what can be seen with the eyes. He then aligns the line on his ball with his target line (0:55) and then executes an amazing left-to-right breaker to win -- have a look:

In short, you are more likely to make a stroke of the proper strength once you've been to the cup and back, and avoid the dreaded three-putt. You should do this on every putt, even if you "think" you know what the putt is going to do! (Of course there is not need to take two minutes on every putt for this little ritual -- a few extra seconds is all it should take).

While you're at the cup you can also pull the flag for your buddies; they will appreciate it. Better distance control, happier playing partners, fewer boxes on your scorecard -- you'll be on a roll!

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Golf Putting Strategy: Read Everybody's Putts

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:10:00 +0000

Symptom: You are closest to the pin in your foursome, but still somehow manage to misread your putt for both line and distance. You say things like "I sure didn't see that break" or "Wow, it is more downhill than I thought" or similar lame utterances.

Description: Read the putts of your playing partners (before they hit their putts), especially if they are further away than you. It doesn't matter if they are on the same side of the hole as you or not. Figure out what sort of putt you would play if it were your putt, before they strike the ball. Then, of course, see if you were right, and adjust your read accordingly.

Why it works: By reading everybody's putts, you are getting a feel for how the ball rolls on this particular green. And, you get instant feedback on your assessment as you watch their putts roll toward and past the hole. Did their putt roll way past the hole? Maybe it's more downhill than you thought. Did they miss on the low side? Maybe there is more break there than you had imagined.

Whenever you get to watch somebody else putt first, it's a huge benefit to you. Don't waste the chance to hone your read. You will start making more putts and having more fun on the course!

To get a feel for this concept, watch this video, but pay attention to the players who are not putting, but are still on camera. They are all paying very close attention to the ball as it approaches the hole. (Of course, since this is a highlight video, most of the putts go in. The don't put missed putts on highlight videos). The onlookers all have an idea in their minds of where the ball will break, but, to a man, are watching intently to see if they are right, and to hone their read on their own putts. Have a look:

So read everybody's putts when you play, you'll wind up making more of your own!

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Golf Putting Tip: Draw on Your Golf Ball and Align Your Line

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:12:00 +0000

Symptom: You read your putts pretty well but somehow can't seem to roll the ball where you are aiming. "It's straight in," you think. "Can't possibly miss this one." But indeed you can...

Description. Draw a straight line around the equator of your golf ball with a permanent marker. After you mark your golf ball on the green, replace it on the green by aligning the golf ball line to your intended putting line.

Why it works: Since the rules of golf allow you to mark and clean the golf ball on the putting green, take advantage of the opportunity to aim the golf ball on your line. The visual aid of the golf ball line makes it easier to hit your putts on your intended line, and avoid a swiping or hooking motion that puts sidespin on your ball. Your putter surely has some sort of alignment aid on it, like a line, or some white circles that represent balls, or something similar, right? Why not extend this concept to the golf ball?

Let's have Brad Faxon demonstrate this for us. Faxon was one of the best putters on the PGA Tour during his career. See how Brad meticulously lines up the line on his ball with the target line of this straight putt, looking back and forth between the ball and the cup multiple times (0:00 to 0:07) to make sure it's just right?

As you watch the pros on TV, you will see that almost all of them do this, each and every time. Some of them are quite obsessive about it, in fact. I guess if I were playing golf for a living I might be too.

Anyway, the whole idea of drawing a line on the ball is to aid in your aiming and setup, and to give you confidence as you execute your stroke. When you hit the putt, be sure you don't let the line wobble, and please make sure your ball finishes past the hole (or in the hole of course, like Faxon's).

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Golf Putting Drill -- Use the "Balls in a Line" Drill to Boost Your Confidence

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:29:00 +0000

Symptom: There's almost no distance of putt where you can confidently say, "I can easily make this one". For you, every putt, no matter how short, is another knee-knocking adventure. So you push some, pull some, leave some short, and so on. Maybe you compulsively purchase putter after putter, thinking that the problem is your equipment...

Overview: On the putting green, find a level, straight, slightly uphill putt. Put several balls in a straight line, starting one foot from the cup, with each successive ball two feet further away. Putt the nearest ball in the hole, then the next nearest, and so on. Repeat until you are making the longest putt most of the time.

Why it works: This drill is all about confidence, about walking before you run. It's a great drill to do before every round of golf you play. Indeed, if you have limited warm up time, and only two minutes on the putting green before your foursome has to tee off, I suggest you do this drill. It's your best use of time.

By sinking the close putts, you gain confidence in your putting. Each successive putt is only a few feet further away than the previous putt, and on the same line, and straight, so you maximize your chances of sinking the putt. You will find that you need to make ever-more purer putting strokes to sink the longer putts. And in so doing your confidence in your short putting will grow, which will help reduce the number of dreaded three putts during your round.

You must not let the line on your golf ball wobble to have a consistent roll, especially at longer range. And, of course, even straight putts need an aiming point. Once your stroke is pure, you should combine this drill with the surround the cup putting drill, to get a feel for the break in the greens, in all your putting practice sessions (if there is time, of course!). Over time you will build confidence in your short and intermediate range putting through this drill. And with confidence comes better scores, more fun, and a lower handicap!

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Golf Putting Drill: Learn to Square Your Putter at Impact with the Starting Gate Tee Drill

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:17:00 +0000

Symptom: Missing straight putts at intermediate length. Frequently muttering "pushed it" or "pulled it" under your breath as you watch the ball burn the edge of the cup yet again. Why is is so hard to get that ball started on your intended line?

Description: Find a flat spot on the putting green, at a distance of about four feet from the hole. Putt five balls from the same spot and see how many you make. If you make them all, move back a few feet until you miss at least half your putts. This is the distance where trouble starts for you on the green. Now, put down two golf tees, about five inches apart (or just far enough for your putter head to make it through), and perpendicular to the line of the putt. Putt another five balls from between these "starting gate" tees. You should find that you are making more putts in short order. Have a look at Tiger, he's graciously agreed to demonstrate this drill for us:

Why it Works: By always putting from the "starting gate" formed by the two tees, you are training yourself to do several important things.

The ball is always in precisely the same place, so the break is exactly the same, and this will not be a variable you need to contend with.
The "tee gate" forms a visual cue that encourages you to square your putter at impact. This will result in putts that are more on your intended line, with less tendency to push or pull your putts.
The "tee gate" also makes a physical barrier that you have to reckon with as you putt. In other words, in order to avoid hitting the tees with your putter, you will naturally swing your putter through the middle of the tees, the same way, every time. This consistency will lead to a more consistent strike of the ball on the face of your putter, giving you a truer roll. Which will help you make more putts.

As you begin to make more putts, you will start to develop confidence and assurance in your ability to get the ball in the hole, which is incredibly important for any golfer, but especially the Occasional Golfer. Give the Starting Gate Tee Drill a try next time you are on the green, warming up for your round. I'll bet you sink more putts during your round, and have more fun as a result!

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Golf Putting Tip: Miss Your Putts on the High Side of the Hole

noreply@blogger.com (GolfTipEditor) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:54:00 +0000

Symptom: Chronically missing putts on the low side of the hole. Seldom is there a need to watch your ball all the way to the hole because, well, it falls below the hole halfway to the cup and so cannot possibly go in. So you look away in disgust, and start walking towards the hole while your ball is still rolling...

Description: Play a bit more break on your putts, so that if you miss, your golf ball misses on the high side of the hole, not the low side.

Why it works: Putts that miss on the low side cannot go in the hole. Obviously. Putts that are tracking to the hole on the high side might go in the hole. This is why the "high side" is often called the "pro side". You will seldom see a pro miss a putt on the low side. If they do, it is usually because they did not have enough pace on the putt for the ball to end up past the hole. This is illustrated by the figure below. The worst putt (biggest "X") is the one that misses low and doesn't make it to the hole. The next best is the putt that misses on the high side, but doesn't make it all the way to the hole. Better still (smallest "x") is the putt that makes it to the hole, but misses low. The miss that you want is the miss that ends up past the hole, on the high side ("OK").

The best missed putt is the one that misses past the hole on the high side.

Of course, the putt that goes in the hole is the best of all! Have a look at this video. Nothing but putts going in the hole. Except for Phil Mickelson's Eagle putt (0:46). Where does he miss it? You guessed it -- on the high side. Way to go Phil! Check it out:

If you should miss your putt past the hole, you have a lot of advantages over your buddies who leave it short. For one, you know what the comeback putt is going to do, which gives you more confidence for your next putt. And you know that downhill putts have more break, so you can hit your next putt at the right pace. All-in-all, you are much better off with your misses on the high side, past the hole. Please let us know if this tip works for you! Like, Share, Tweet, or Email below!

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