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 | | Tip provided by:
Ted Brasile
Director of Golf Instruction
Golf Academy of America/Myrtle Beach | How many of you spend hours on the putting green trying to groove that perfect putting stroke? Unfortunately, the answer is most of us might spend two to five hours a week hitting balls on the range and just ten minutes practicing putting.
Did you know that 43 percent of all shots during a round of golf are putts? Do you dedicate 43 percent of your practice time to putting? Probably not.
The average tour pro takes 29.3 putts per 18 holes while it takes the average golfer 36-38 putts per round.
So what’s the answer here? My advice is to give the putting stroke the respect it deserves. Let me give you some simple advice to help you improve your putting stroke and start lowering your scores.
The following are a few fundamentals that you can work on.
1. Keep your eyes over the target line or just slightly inside the target line at address.
2. Keep your head and body still during the stroke. Listen for the ball going in the hole. No peeking allowed!
3. Your hands should be slightly ahead of the ball at address and impact.
4. Make sure both palms face one another on the grip. Thumbs should point down the shaft.
5. Align your shoulders parallel to your aim line and your clubface at right angles to your aim line. Your feet can be open, closed or square.
6. Keep your grip pressure light.
7. The back of the lead wrist should be straight and firm at impact.
8. The follow through should be slightly longer than the backswing.
9. Always feel like you are accelerating the putter through the ball.
10.Keep your arms and hands relaxed at address, allow both arms to naturally fold into your body at address.
11.Develop a pendulum style stroke using the shoulders and upper arms.
12.Straight back and straight through is the correct path on short putts.
13.Swing inside-square-inside on the longer putts. Use the hands and arms more on these putts to establish feel. Allow the right hand to freely hinge and unhinge, and to naturally respond to the weight of the swinging clubhead.
14.A good putting stroke has tempo and rhythm. Think of a metronome when putting.
Try these tips and I am sure you will improve your putting. Remember, you may not have the physical skills to drive the ball like Tiger or Annika, but all of us have the skills to improve our putting stroke. It just takes some knowledge and practice!
Ted Brasile, PGA Professional and Director of Golf Instruction at Golf Academy of America/Myrtle Beach. Ted credentials are the following: 1993 Carolinas PGA Teacher of the Year; 1998 Georgia PGA-North Chapter Teacher of the Year; 2003 Georgia PGA-East Chapter Teacher of the Year; GOLF Magazine Top 400 Teacher list every year since 1996; Titleist Performance Institute Certified Golf Fitness Instructor-Level 1; LAWS of Golf Certified Instructor-Level 1&2; Quarter Century Member PGA of America
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