The Most Important Aspect to Putting Is...?
Most golfers would think that having
a perfect stroke or hitting the center of
the putter is crucial. Be that as it may, I
feel that reading greens correctly is the
most important. You can make the best putting
stroke of your life and hit the center of the
putter face, but if you have read the green
wrong your ball has zero chance of going in
the hole.
Green reading actually starts after you
have hit your approach shot to the green. As
you walk or ride towards the green, pay attention to the slope and undulations. It is easier
to see these from a distance. Almost all greens
are pitched back to front for drainage purposes
and to receive golf shots.
On the green, pay close attention to the
grain, the way the grass grows. A simple way to
read grain is to look at the hole. One side of
the hole will look cleanly cut. The other side
will look brown, rough and dying. The grain
grows towards the brown, dying side. Another
method of reading grain is to look for the
shiny or dull areas on the green. When the
green looks shiny, you are going with the
grain.
It is beneficial to know local knowledge.
In some parts of the country low lying areas
will have an effect on the grain (for example,
at PGA West in Palm Desert, California the ball
tends to break towards Indio) or knowing where
the sun sets.
Reading greens takes practice and experience.
Keep working at it tough, because you will increase
your chances of making putts.
One of the major differences between the Tour pros and the weekend player is that the Tour pro focuses on where he wants his "misses" to land. For example, if the green is sloped back-to-front, the Tour pro will choose a club that will make sure that he leaves his approach below the hole so that he has an easier, uphill putt for birdie. You should do the same thing. Instead of just walking off the yardage and choosing the appropriate club for the yardage, take a second to study the green to see how it's sloped. If it is sloped severely back-to-front, take one less club or choke down on the club a bit. Or, if it is sloped hard right-to-left, aim well left of the hole (assuming the hole isn't cut tight to the left side of the green near trouble). By leaving your approach shots on the proper side of the hole, you'll find yourself three-putting a lot less.
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Right Hand Only Putting Drill |
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One way to improve your putting (particularly your consistency) is to practice putting while only using your right hand. The purpose of this drill is to help you eliminate "breaking" your wrists while putting, maintain a solid follow-through and help keep the face of the putter aimed at the target. Start by lining up a series of straight, two-foot putts. Now, hold the putter in just your right hand. Make sure that your right palm is facing the hole. Now, ass you putt, maintain the extended wrist position on the follow through and hold the finished position for 5 seconds. Check to see that your right palm is square to the target. Repeat this drill 10 times.
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Eyes On The Hole Putting Drill |
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One of the keys to improving your putting is to make sure that you don't break your wrists during your follow through. Having a solid follow-through will increase the accuracy of your putts and help you eliminate 3-putts. Here is a drill that will help eliminate "breaking" or "cocking" your wrists while putting. In this drill, you will focus your attention on the hole rather than your ball in order to "train" your wrists and arms to maintain a solid follow through. Begin by addressing the ball about 10 feet from the hole while holding the putter in both hands (for Natural Golfers use the Natural Palm Grip with your right hand). Now putt the ball while only looking at the hole, not the ball. There is no need to look at the ball because you are relying on the natural ability of your right palm to aim the putter. Now, as you swing through the putt, concentrate only on the hole and on making sure that your right palm (for right handed players) moves through the ball and directly toward the hole.You should almost feel as if you are tossing the ball underhand toward the hole. Be sure to concentrate on the hole, this will help you maintain focus and keep you from "slapping" at the ball and breaking your wrists. |
Putt While Looking At The Target
Just like with your full swing, your putting stroke needs to be
a smooth and flowing motion, with a relatively full finish.
A great drill to use quickly before a round to refine your stroke's rhythm is to
hit five or six medium-length putts while looking at the hole, not the ball.
By focusing your eyes on the hole, you lose the "hit instinct" that
players tend to get when they fixate on the ball.
Instead, you are better in tune with the rhythm of your stroke, much in the
same way that a full practice swing - when there's no ball - is always more
fluid and rhythmic than the swing you make when you set up to the ball. Looking
at the hole, your putting stroke will be smoother and longer through the ball,
instead of an abbreviated "jabbing" motion.
If you find that you tend to lose this rhythmic motion after a few holes, you
might want to incorporate a few practice putts while looking at the hole into
your regular pre-putt routine.