If you are seriously considering lowering your scores, then you must take your putting seriously. Pay attention to Beginner Golf Tips To Improve Your Putting as roughly half the strokes you play in a round of golf are likely to be on the putting green.
However good you are at driving, pitching and chipping, if your putting is not up to standard, you will never make the next level. A famous quote for putting goes, ‘Drive for show putt for dough’, this says it all!
That is why it is quite incredible that putting is not often concentrated on.
Tips for setup:
First of all, there is no one correct putting grip/posture/stroke, there are wide variations, so if your technique is different, don’t worry, some of the top golfers have very different putting actions, and all have very different techniques.
These are basic tips to improve your putting that can be applied to most techniques to help improve your game.
These six factors must be taken into consideration so that you make an informed choice of putter.
1. The lie angle. It is an angle between the shaft and the ground. This factor determines if the putter head is sitting perfectly flat on the ground when you are putting. Get one that lets the head of the club rest squarely on the ground when you take your stance.
2. The length of the putter. The standard length for a putter is 35 inches. The right length for you depends on how you stand when you address the ball.
A longer putter is better if you like to stand upright. A shorter putter is better if you prefer to bend over and be closer to the ground.
3. The total weight of the putter. Get one that does not feel too heavy. In general, use a lighter putter if you play on fast greens. A heavier putter may give you better results if you play on slow greens.
4. The size and shape of the head. A perimeter-weighted putter is the best. This type of putter has a recess in the middle of the head, with most of the weight distributed on the heel and toe. This will provide you with more solid putts on off-center hits.
5. The head material. This factor is often overlooked when choosing a good putter. Typically the cheaper putters will have heads made of PCS plastic, Aluminum or Zinc.
Because the head material is light, you will be required to hit the ball harder to get it to go the same distance as you would if your club-head was made from a more expensive material.
Generally, these putters cannot be adjusted for lie, loft angle or other variables.
On the other hand, the more expensive putters often use stainless steel, brass, titanium, wood or a mixture of these.
You can find special displays of these putters with different lie angles and lengths already built in.
These putters will feel more solid when you strike the ball, look much better at address and perform more consistently over time.
6. The grip type and size. Putters come with standard-size grips installed. This is not ideal for everyone. The larger your hands, the larger the width of the grip should be and, conversely, you should have a smaller diameter grip if your hands are small.
An ideal putting stroke should strike the ball on the up, to do this the ball should be placed opposite the inside of the left heal (for a right hander), this results in the ball being hit on the up and top spin is generated.
In relation to setup, the hands should be either inline with the ball or ahead of the ball, if the hands are behind the ball, then a clean consistent strike of the ball is not likely, and the common result is the ball popping up in the air.
Tension on the green is one the most destructive things that can happen to your putting.
This is especially true with the short putts, this is known as getting the ‘yips’, this is caused by moving during the stroke.
This causes you to ‘fluff’ your shot and miss your putt. To avoid this happening, concentrate on the spot where the ball was after impact rather than following the ball.
This ensures that you do not move your head during impact and will help give you the clean smooth impact you require.
A simple technique to reduce the tension in the body and the stroke is simply to let your arms dangle in front of you before you putt and gently shake them.
This should relax your muscles enabling an enhanced sensation of feel and touch, both vital for reliable consistent putting.
Tips for the swing
Your grip should not be too tight, and your arms should be relaxed. Gently and smoothly in a one piece action, sweep the putter backwards.
It is important to keep the triangle formed between your arms and the line joining your shoulders consistent through the whole shot and the shape should not change.
The move backwards should be like a pendulum movement with your arms, while your wrists remain stiff. A good tip for making sure that this is correct is by starting the action by dropping your left shoulder; this will get the pendulum motion started.
Keeping the triangle mentioned before in tact, in a pendulum motion, accelerate the putter smoothly through the ball; the ball should be hit on the up.
Throughout this whole period, keep your eyes fixed on the ball to avoid fluffing the putt and keep the eyes fixed on that spot after impact.
It is vital after impact that the left wrist remains firm and does not break; the follow-through should go inline with the direction you were aiming and should be the same length as the backswing.
Key points
Try and relax before playing the stroke, this will help enhance your feel and touch and help avoid the yips due to excess tension
The stroke should be a pendulum action swinging with your shoulders and arms while the wrists remain stiff.
Don’t move your head during the swing.
Swing in a relaxed smooth fashion with a smooth and constant rhythm.
Keep the wrists firm throughout the stroke.
Play the ball from underneath the eyes.
Have the ball in the front of the stance to ensure that the ball is hit on the up.
To sum it all up.
The most important lesson in golf is to just have fun. The internet is a good source for information on how to play the game.
Secondly, there are many videos available that can teach you everything from improving your swing, to putting. Check out Our Golf Shop for tips on improving your game, and for your golf equipment needs.
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