6/15/2009 3:53:00 PM Practice drills for better putting
by Ingrid Gallo
Most weekly golfers practice their putting just before a round of golf. That in itself is a good idea to get the speed of the greens just before play.
But to be a reliable, consistent putter, you need to practice on a regular basis because it is the one golf swing that must hold up under pressure.
After all, you may have missed your tee shot in the rough or sliced your second shot into the bunker, so it could be your good putting skills that'll save your score.
First of all, figure out what lengths you need to work on. This is simply done by analyzing your scorecard after each round.
Keep track of the number of putts you have per hole on the golf course. Underneath that score on your card, estimate the length of your putt and jot it down.
If you have scanned your card and noticed that you three-putted from 20 feet, you should practice those 20 footers before your next round.
Your game performance throughout the summer is a dynamic process. One week, you will need help on shorter lengths, another week it will be your longer distances. Adjust accordingly to improve your performance as quickly as possible.
A common fault in putting is having too loose of a grip.
Of course, you don't want to strangle the club, but you want to avoid floppy wrists.
For consistency in distance control, you need to develop a stroke in which your hands and the putter head meet the ball at impact in a straight-line look.
Often, people fail to move their arms and hands through the ball. Instead, their wrists snap prematurely, creating more angle in their wrists than they started with.
Keep the handle of the putter in the body of your hands, so you have good control. A good drill to see whether your hands change pressure is to watch your swing in front of a mirror at home.
Take a look specifically at your left hand at impact. Has it change its angle as you went forward? If so, firm up your left wrist and lock in that initial angle at address.
Several drills for short putts will boost your confidence in getting that second putt into the hole.
Choose three distances - one foot, two feet and three feet from the hole.
Place the balls around the hole in a circle. Travel around the hole, hitting each putt firmly to the back of the cup. Each putt is new, so it requires focus, but each putt is the same length, too, so you are building muscle memory for that length of putt. By doing this, you don't get bored with hitting the putt from the same place.
For medium to long putts, take some tees and places them in the green at 20 and 30 feet increments. Start with the shortest distance and putt several ball from that location.
Move on to the next two distances. Now, do it in reverse and start with the longest distance first.
The reason you want the tees in the ground is to help you observe that you have divided up that long putt into thirds.
In order to get that nice lag to the hole from 30 feet, you should be trying to hit the ball at least two-thirds of the way to the hole so that it will roll to the cup. It helps your mental strategy in determining how much swing to use for that length of putt.
It is very common to have a 30-foot putt to the hole.
Your goal is to get it within a foot of the hole for a tap-in. Proficiency and confidence go together, so this size putt is a must in your repertoire of good putts.
Either that or you have to become an awesome ball striker with your wedge so that you only have 10-foot putts to practice.
If aim is your problem, check your feet. Place a club on the green parallel to your target line, between the ball and your feet. You should stand so that your shoulders, knees and feet are parallel to target. If you don't, there is strong likelihood that you will putt along your skewed shoulder line.
If your putt breaks form left to right, for example, your feet should not be aligned left of the hole as though it were a straight putt.
Rather, it should be left of the apex of your curve, the point where the ball would start to break right.
If you do not trust this set up, have a friend help you on the practice green and tell you if you are aligned properly. Then practice several putts from this position.
Finally, if you are truly bored with practicing your putting alone, make a game out of it with a friend. Play a friendly competition on a few practice holes. That will make it seem more real and increase your desire to get the ball in the hole.
A good, reliable putting stroke is not that hard to obtain. But it has to be maintained throughout the year with practice.
Ingrid Gallo is an LPGA teaching professional and is director of instruction at Begin Oaks Golf Course in Plymouth. Her e-mail is ingridgallogolf@aol.com.
