PUTTING MADE SIMPLE
I’m sure you have heard me say at one time or another that green reading is a very important fundamental in golf. The important question is how do you get better at it? Here’s how:
First, you have to practice your green reading. This is much more than just going out to the practice green and hitting a few putts. You need to learn how to practice in order to receive some very specific feedback.
Everyday I see players of all skill levels hit putts on the practice green without knowing what they are looking for. They may make some or miss some, but they don’t understand why. These players don’t know whether they started the ball on the line that they wanted or even if that line was correct. Thus, making a putt becomes a game of luck and chance rather than skill. This is why some of you are hot one day and can’t hit the broad side of a barn the next.
The most important thing to find out is whether you are actually doing what you think you are doing – are you actually starting the ball where you are aimed? Is the putter face pointed in the wrong direction? Is the path of the putter in relation to the target correct? Once you have that information, you can then determine if their read is correct and if not, you try to fix it.
So, during your next putting practice session, I suggest you put a tee or a ball marker on the green where you think you should start the putt. This is relevant whether or not the putt is right to left, left to right or straight. Additionally, you also need to put something on the ground to make sure you really start the ball where you think you are (maybe two tees that your ball has to fit through as it rolls toward your target by the hole). This will give you the feedback that you need to know if you have read the putt correctly.
Having said all this, the speed with which you hit the putt will determine the line you chose. There are going to be several correct lines that could make the ball go in the hole. The harder you hit the ball the less it will curve, but you also have to deal with the consequences if the ball misses. I like to see a putt moving closer to the hole as the ball slows, not farther away. So, the speed you intend to hit the putt will have a huge influence on where you place your target.
How do you determine where to put the marker? Well, that depends. My mentor, Carl Welty, told me a long time ago that where you stand when you read a putt makes all the difference. The only problem is everyone is different, so where I stand when I read a putt might not be the best place for you. Tinker around with this idea. Stand close to your ball in line with the hole. Stand farther away. Stand on the opposite side of the hole. Stand on the high side and the low side. Kneel down from these positions or stand tall - whatever feels most comfortable.
What I have done with some of the professionals I work with is actually use a digital level to make certain that the slope is what they actually see. If the level is different than what they see then we retrain the eyes to see what the readings are. This takes time and discipline. When these players take the “level” to the tournament courses they can put it down and continue to learn what is correct for that particular course on that particular week.
No matter how good or bad your stroke is you still need to know where to start the ball. Remember that where the ball goes is the most important thing in golf.
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