How to Teach Good Putting, Golf Pro Putting Tips
Putting Stroke, Putting Grip, Lag Putting, Practice Putting Goals
May 21, 2009
This article from the series How to Teach Golf deals with putting. This is the most important part of the game. Not only will a good putting stroke enable a golfer to lower scores by holing more putts, but if a golfer is confident on the greens it takes pressure off the long game.
The Putting Stance
- Make sure the stance is stable. The feet should be wide enough to make sure the body can stay rock solid during the stroke.
- The eyes should be directly over the ball. This enables the golfer to look directly down the line of the putt and helps with alignment.
- Let the arms hang from the shoulders so they are almost vertical. This helps the stroke naturally stay pointing at the target for the longest possible time.
- Most golfers aim the putter face either right or left at address. Aiming correctly is essential and every effort should be made to get your pupil to achieve this. To help, draw a line round the circumference of the ball. Aim the line directly where you want the putt to start, and then line up the face of the putter with the line on the ball.
There are many putting grips that a golfer can use, but an effective grip is not just about helping the hands to stay firm during the stroke. A good grip is one that allows the arms to hang down without distortion.
It is absolutely essential a line across the arms points at the hole. Most golfers who putt badly fail to appreciate how important this is. The arm line is as important to putting as aiming the cue correctly in snooker or pool.
Ninety percent of golfers either aim the blade or the arms incorrectly. To putt consistently well with these faults is impossible. If you get your pupil to do nothing else except check and re-check these two aspects, irrespective of their stroke, they will improve on the greens
The Putting Stroke
- The putting stroke is the miniature version of the full swing and travels back slightly inside the line on the back stroke and follow through. There is no hand action during the stroke.
- The hands are locked out and a swinging of the shoulders and arms creates the momentum. If you have read the article in this series about a ‘one piece takeaway’ it is exactly the same principal. That is why belly putters have become popular, the fact that the putter is secured to the body helps cut out any hand action.
- The essence of a good stroke is to cut out all unnecessary movement. It is vital to keep the head still throughout the stroke to eliminate body sway. Listen for the putt to drop into the hole, do not look up to watch, particularly on short putts.
Lag Putting and Practice
The easiest way to avoid three putting is to develop touch allowing a golfer to roll the ball up close to the hole. This requires time spent on the practise putting green. There is no other department that responds as quickly to practise than putting to a target from thirty feet.
Encourage your pupil to spend time on the practise green every time they go to the range or club. Every hour a golfer puts in will save shots on the green.
However, if it were as simple as that we would all be good putters. The problem is practise putting can become boring, so as the teacher it is up to you to set goals to make it interesting so they stay there.
Set Fun Goals
- How may putts to get round nine holes,
- How many out of ten can they get close to the hole from twenty feet,
- How many before they hole from fifteen feet, hit one putt from twenty feet past the hole and then one deliberately short of the hole,
- How many balls can a golfer hole on the trot on a straight five foot putt.
See also: How to Teach Chip and Run Shots Pro Advice
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