Loft on the face of a putter can cause a significant directional error of the putter is not soled properly. If a golfer’s putter does not fit them properly, ie either the heel or toe is up at address or during the stroke, then loft on their putter face has to cause a directional error based on physics.
To see this effect dynamically demonstrated watch the video on this subject in this sites Video Library.
By watching the video you will also learn how to minimize this error causing effect.
Many golfers struggle with their putting for extended periods without knowing what to do to improve. There are a couple of quick self tests that can help a golfer identify the source(s) of their putting problem(s).
Most putting problems can be broken down into two basic areas: poor accuracy and poor distance control.
ACCURACY
The first test is an accuracy drill. Stick a tee in the practice putting green in a relatively flat area and then take four “giant” steps away from the tee (about twelve feet). Putt at the tee using about ten golf balls. For each ball go through your normal pre-shot routine just as if you were on the course. When you have finished putting all ten balls, note the pattern. How many were left and how many were right of the tee? How far to the side were the worst ones and how close were the best ones?
Most golfers will end up with a grouping more to one side than evenly distributed. This reveals an alignment issue that can be easily fixed with a little practice. Just by being aware that you have a tendency to be mostly right or mostly left you are on the way to being able to improve.
Repeat the drill and have someone stand behind you checking where your putter face is aligned just before you make your stroke. This will tell you whether you have a “right or left eye” dominance alignment issue. Many golfers are really surprised to find that on a 10-12 foot putt their putter face is not truly aimed at the hole like they think it is. Once aware that they have a visual alignment issue the golfer can begin to fix it by using a small compensating correction in the proper direction before making their stroke. There are some very good laser aiming/training devices on the market that make it easy to visualize the true alignment versus the “golfer” alignment. We will offer more about them in a future post.
If a golfer with an unven right/left pattern is aligning their putter correctly to start the stroke, then the problem is a stroke mechanics issue,ie, they are consistently pushing or pulling their putter face across the intended line. For putts inside 15 feet the most reliable stroke is one that goes straight back and straight through on the intended target line. If a golfer is pushing or pulling their putts their shoulders may be misaligned. If that is the case, the golfer can practice their putting stroke inside with the putter toe up against a wall. Or, just use a small straight board as a guide. And again, the golfer can have some one place a golf club across their upper chest/upper arm area to check alignment versus the intended target line.
If the shoulder alignment is good then the next area to check is head stability. On putts inside 15 feet it is essential that the head not move until the ball has been struck and is well on its way to the hole. In fact some of the best putters will concentrate on keeping their head still until they hear the ball drop in the cup. Again, you need someone to observe you while you putt.
The last area to check is hand/wrist stability. On putts inside 15 feet, you want the hands to remain passive virtually eliminating all wrist movement. Using only the shoulders and arms to move the putter back and forth will give a much more repeatable pendulum like stroke.
DISTANCE CONTROL
Good distance control is essential for good putting. Since very few putts are perfectly straight it is necessary to play some amount of “break” on nearly all putts. The amount of break the golfer allows for is directly dependent on how hard he/she plans to putt the ball. If the putt is stroked softly it will break more than if it is stroked firmly.
Most golfers would actually improve their overall putting if they spent most of their putting practice time on distance control rather than trying to sink putts.
A good distance control drill is to set up two tees about a foot apart like a small gate. Then from 10 and 20 feet hit multiple putts towards the opening . The object is trying to stop the ball as close to the imaginary line between the two tees as possible.
A similar drill is to putt towards the fringe of the green trying to stop the ball as close to the fringe as possible without actually going off of the green.
Distance control is controlled by length of putting stroke and tempo. The above practice drills will help the golfer improve both in becoming more “distance” aware.
Laser based golf putting training devices have been available for several years. However, they have had two drawbacks to date: 1) they output a “Spot” beam which produced a limited amount of information and 2) they were difficult to mount accurately since they clamped onto the putter shaft or were fastened to the putter face with some kind of tape.
Golf Lab has introduced a Laser Fitting and Training Module(LFTM) that outputs a “Fan” beam which provides vertical and horizontal feedback information to improve putter setup (fitting), face alignment and putting stroke.
The LFTM is designed specifically to precision mount onto the Reeso Putter family of custom putters.
You may see a video demonstration of the LFTM by selecting the appropriate link from the Video Library on this site.
Good golf putting techniques appeal to all golfers. The key to implementing these techniques into your game is through practice. This being said, putting is one of the least practiced areas on the golf course. Is it also a coincidence that putting is what golfers tend to struggle with the most?
Implementing Golf Putting Techniques by Practice Practice is one thing that will impact your putting. Let’s look at a few tips and golf putting techniques that you can put to practice next time you are on the course. If you can’t get to a course use a practice green and putting aids to assist in your exercise. The main thing you want to work on is distance control.
Start training yourself to become very aware of the elements and your surroundings. Learn to be able to asses the speed and the effects of the grass length and growth on the roll of your ball. You must master the stroke before you begin to worry about making it in the hole. Once you have your stroke down and are comfortable with your hitting, begin to focus on your distance.
Ulitlizing Putting Tips and Aids to Control Distance Set varying markers that gauge anywhere from 10 to 70 feet. Practice trying to reach your ball within a few inches of the marker. This will begin to help you judge and control the distance you hit each time. Once you have the distance control golf putting techniques down you can begin to focus on making the actual putt. Start from a close distance and then gradually move yourself away. This will give you great positive affirmation and a confidence boost, which will greatly impact your play as you move farther from the hole. Simply a lot of the game is mental. This being said you want to positively enforce your efforts and time on the course to continually build your game.
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