Golf Tip: Better Putting

Golf Tips provided by Dave Kendall Academy in Ypsilanti

Putting is a matter of coordinating aim and set up, stroke, distance control, and green reading.

Most players assume that if you can develop a mechanically perfect stroke, they will be a good putter.  It certainly helps, but mechanics is responsible for about 25 percent of a player’s success in putting.  If a player is consistently precise at aim and set-up and makes distance control a priority in practice, his/her improvement in putting is almost a certainty.

The order of priority

1.  aim

2.  speed

3.  read

4.  stroke

Aim:  do not assume good aim.  Test yourself or get help. If you are not a good aimer, use a line on your ball and aim the line from down the line.

Speed:  once you are aimed, speed is all you are thinking about during the execution of your stroke.  It should be the majority of your practice.  

Read:  most players focus most of their attention on reading line and should focus at least as much on reading speed.  Line is dependent upon speed.  More makeable putts are missed because of bad speed than a bad line.

Stroke:  most inconsistent strokes come from attempting to swing the putter on a line that your bone structure is not set up on or in a position that will allow it to happen easily.  Good strokes are a result of a good set up.  If you have good set up, stroke is a matter of rocking your shoulders and simply allowing the putter to swing.

Understanding the skills of putting and making them a priority can make a huge difference in your score.  More strokes (nearly 40 %) are taken on the greens than any other area of the game.  It should receive your attention in nearly the same proportion.