Short-Game Practice: Putting

Give your golf game a big boost with simple putting fundamentals

Feb 6, 2007

Establishing correct putting form is essential to improving your golf game. Putting drills may not be fun, but it they're the most important.

"With any luck, on a par four you'll hit one shot from the tee, one shot from the fairway and two putts. So, if you think about it, putting is half your game," says Keith Reese, Head PGA Professional at Louisville, Kentucky's Valhalla Golf Club, site of the 2008 Ryder Cup Matches.

According to Reese, a putting drills routine that includes the following six keys will result in a marked improvement in your scores:

1. Same length back and through. The key to putting-stroke pace and rhythm is to make the back-stroke the same length as the forward-stroke.

2. Let the shoulders and arms do the work. The main source of movement is the shoulders and arms. They work together and the hands remain quiet.

3. Keep the head steady. Good putters keep their head still from the start of the stroke to the finish. If the head moves, it is nearly impossible to make solid contact.

4. No peeking. The urge to glance up at the ball too soon after impact also causes poor contact.

5. Perfect Posture. Good balance, with the arms hanging under the shoulders. It is important to stand in a position which gets the eye-line over the ball.

6. Putter path inside-to-square-to-inside. From proper posture the putter will swing slightly inside the target line on the back swing, to square at impact, to slightly inside on the follow-through.

Don't forget to establish a proper, consistent putter grip. "I find that having the back of the right-hand parallel to the left - the right hand being lower than the left - with both thumbs positioned down the top side of the grip and the left forefinger laid across the fingers of the right hand (the reverse for lefties) provides a unified grip that is easier to keep the putter square to the target" says Keith.

Knowledge of your game, in connection with putting drills and practice targeted to your weaknesses, will help you break through that 100, 90, 80, or 70 barrier.

For another of Keith Reese's short-game drills, see this article, "Short-Game Practice."

The copyright of the article Short-Game Practice: Putting in How to Play Golf is owned by Alan L. Hammond. Permission to republish Short-Game Practice: Putting in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.