Health & Fitness
Spring is Here- Putting Tips For 2013
Putting makes up 40% of your golf game- Embrace the putter this season with these tips!
It’s cool to be able to step up to the tee and blast the ball down the fairway. But let's face it- putting is what separates great golfers from good ones. That’s because putting is one of the trickiest skills of any sport - a delicate mixture of muscle control and mental focus.
Various greens have different physical characteristics. Golfers have to understand and compensate for how texture, topography, and moisture will affect the speed and direction of your ball as it rolls toward the hole.
If your approach shot lands to the left of the hole, your putt will break from left to right. If it lands on the right side, it’ll break from right to left. Short of the hole, you’ll have an uphill putt, but if your ball lands beyond the hole, you’ll be putting downhill.
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Don't worry about copying an exact stance- Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, or Tiger Woods etc. Instead, search for the stance and the posture that feels right for your own physique and stick with it. I recommend that using your hands and wrists to stabilize the putter and concentrating on using the arms and shoulders to actually stroke the club. Again, do what is comfortable. As for the grip, don’t apply too much pressure and remain consistent, even with longer distance putts.
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Golf is a mental game and because of that it requires you to pay attention. Focus on the putt line and the spot line- where you see the ball going. Spot putting is a useful tool for long distance putts. In spot putting you aim for a spot on the green (short of the hole) rather than aiming directly at the hole. When aiming for the hole on long distance putts, golfers tend to hit it too hard.
Setting your eyes directly over the putting line will also help you keep your feet and body parallel, and you’ll stroke along the proper path.
After you’ve made your putt, analyze your shot and learn from it. This is even more important if you have missed your putt.
Putting is about 40 percent of all your strokes. That’s way more than any other club in your bag. Instead of spending all the time hitting balls at the driving range, you should probably head over to the practice green.
To recap:
Analyze the green
Have a comfortable stance and light-pressure grip
Imagine a spot and “see” the putt line
These simple and effective steps will successfully shave a few strokes off your game. Practice makes perfect. Happy putting!!!
Steven Sienkiewicz
Dearborn Hills Golf Course
1300 S. Telegraph
Dearborn, MI 48124
(313) 563-GOLF(4653)
