' ''Would You Like To Lower Your Golf Scores?''
The fastest way to lower your score in golf is to improve your putting. In my opinion putting is the most important part of shooting good scores. Let me repeat, '''Putting is the most important part of shooting good scores in golf. It doesn't matter how good the rest of your game is, if you can't make putts you will never realize your scoring potential! '''That being said it amazes me that people don't spend more time on the putting green. I know putting practice can be boring, but it doesn't have to be. We'll come back to that later, but for now let's cover the basics of putting mechanics.
First let me say that some of the greatest putters of all time have had their own styles. Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods, Bobby Lock and so on all had their own individual styles. My point is that there is not one correct way to putt. There are many ways to get the ball in the hole although I think there is one method that is easier to repeat than the others. Basically there are two methods being taught by professionals,
1. A putting stroke that follows a slight arc
2. A stroke that moves straight back and straight through
I believe the Arc stroke is easier to repeat and more reliable under pressure. The reason I say this is that the Arc style uses the bigger muscles of the upper body and keeps the hands quiet. It is the small muscles of the hands, wrists, and forearms that tend to jerk the club when a player is under pressure. Let's look at some fundamentals of this type of stroke.
A) '''Set up''' as you would for a full swing with your feet about shoulder width apart. Your feet, knees, hips, and shoulders should all be in line with each other and your weight evenly distributed. Bend from the hips keeping the spine fairly straight from the base of your neck to your tail bone. A good rule of thumb is to bend enough so that you can touch the top of your knee caps with your fingertips. Your eyes should be directly over the ball or just slightly inside. Play the ball between the middle of your stance and your left heel. The most important part of ball position when putting on an arc, is to put the ball in the same place every time. Since the putter face will be opening and closing slightly in the this type of stroke, precise ball position is important. A good putting grip should be comfortable and minimize hand action. I recommend a reverse overlap grip or possibly even left hand low.
B) '''Stroke''' the ball by rotating your shoulders back and through, around your spine. There should be very little independent hand action in this type of stroke. Keep your hands and arms soft and think of letting your shoulders move the triangle formed by your arms and chest. When executed properly the putter head will follow a very slight arc that moves a little to the inside in the backswing, returns to impact, and moves slightly to the inside in the follow through.
Now back to practice. Use your imagination to make up games that will challenge you. Set goals for yourself. For instance, see how many three footers you can make in a row. Maybe start with a goal of ten in a row to start. When that becomes easy, go to fifteen and so on. Then do the same with left to right breakers and putts that break right to left. By setting goals for yourself and making up games and contests that you can play by yourself or with a partner, you can make putting practice fun. The most fun will be when you see your scores beginning to drop because your putting improves.
For more information on the arc putting stroke, I recommend you pick up a copy of Stan Utley's short game book which can be found in most book stores. Stan works with many PGA tour players to help them improve their putting.
NEXT LEVEL GOLF PUTTING