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Your putting stroke isn't great,
your touch is still developing, and you have trouble
reading greens. All those things take time. But you can
do something to improve your putting:
PROPER
ALIGNMENT
It may not sound exciting, but you'll be
surprised how many putts you can make with a mediocre
stroke when your body and putter face are aimed
correctly. It doesn't require athletic ability, so
there's no reason your alignment shouldn't be perfect
every time.
CHOOSE AN
INTERMEDIATE TARGET
First, make sure the putterface is pointing
where it should. That's not easy to do when the hole is
20 feet away:
Pick a spot about a foot in front
of the ball and directly on the target line and align
the putterface to it. Since the spot is closer, it's
easier to check for a square face. Then, simply roll the
ball over the spot and it will continue to the hole.
PUTTING
STANCE: NEVER CLOSED
Once the putterface is square, position your
body so your feet are parallel to the putt's starting
line. If your feet are square, there's a good chance
your shoulders are, too, so rocking them back and
through produces a straight-back, straight-through
stroke.
Your other option is to open your
stance, feet angled left of the target. This makes it
easier to see the putt's line but more difficult to
position the body to make a straight stroke. However,
there is no advantage to setting up with a closed
stance; if your feet point right of the target, your
perception will be skewed, and you'll find it difficult
to start the ball on the proper line.
EYES OVER
THE BALL
Eye position is one of the most important
aspects of good alignment. To be sure the putterface is
square at address, set your eyes directly over the
target line. Positioning your eyes outside or
inside the target line distorts your view of the line,
which encourages improper putterface alignment. To
position your eyes properly, take your stance and drop a
ball from the bridge of your nose. The ball you drop
should land on the target line. If it doesn't, adjust
your posture accordingly.
* AIMLINE
- true break is 3 times the visible break (AIMLINE)
- slower the roll, the more a putt breaks
* FEEL
the two-ball putter should move up after impact
(by observing Annika - not horizontal all the way)
* SPEED
- lumpy donut (foot steps 6" around the hole)
- clean edge of the hole (grass towards the hole)
- slope , green speed, grain
- wind direction (SIDE WIND), wind test (clipping , 3')
- short or long grass (short after mowing, faster speed)
- wet grass, slower, less break
- dry grass, faster at the end of game
- SPEED IS 4 TIMES MORE IMPORTANT THAN AIMLINE.
(finish the follow-through - holding for a few seconds)
* GRAIN
- affects break less than 10%
- affects roll distance by more than 25%
- drag test (dragging the blade of putter)
- grass grows towards water source, towards sunlight and
with predominant wind direction
- water flow from mountain to lake (pond)
- sun at afternoon, GRASS TOWARDS SUN |
