Putting Lessons
Question: Of all the clubs in your bag, which one do you use the most?
Answer: Most likely, it is your putter. Golf course design allocates 2 putts per green to make par. However your typical golfer is more likely to average 2.3-2.8 putts per hole per round. A poor showing with putter in hand can easily destroy your game. The other day I was playing with a friend and I had a wonderful drive off of the tee and a great second shot to put me about 3 yards from the green – and I ended up scoring a 6. After chipping onto the green, I 3 putted. Thanks to lousy putting – and a not too great chip shot (but that’s a separate article) it took 2 strokes to go 420 yards and another 4 to go 15 yards. I could have easily bogeyed or parred the hole if my putting was on.
I am guilty of heading to the driving range, and whacking away with my driver, long, and short irons – and never touching the practice green for chipping and putting. The only time I usually practice putting is the 15 minutes before a round starts. This isn’t enough.
Shawn Clement, Director of the Richmond Hill Golf Learning Centre, and CPGA Pro, has posted another great video in his eLearning Golf series – putting secrets.
The ‘Y’ position is a very important part of the setup, and one that I sometimes don’t get perfect. I know I tend to rush my putts sometimes. The section on speed and momentum is really good as well. He takes the approach that your alignment must be done from behind the ball, using the line on the golf ball for centering. It’s impossible to correctly align your shot when you are perpendicular to the intended path to the hole – therefore, make sure to always step back and check the alignment from behind. Once you have the alignment correct, you then need only to concern yourself with the appropriate momentum. Shawn gives examples for short, medium, and long putts, and the associated movements of the putter. Overall, it truly is an excellent video.
Thanks Shawn!
