Learning To Master Golf Putting Drills

Stop Puttering About

 

Okay so you’ve just hit a great drive off the tee and your next shot is on the green. What happens? You take three puts to sink the ball and you’ve just got a bogey or worse a double bogey. Don’t feel too bad because this happens all too often with many golfers. Virtually 40% of their shots are on the green. Therefore if you can master your golf putting game then you can take your game to a whole new level. So let’s start reviewing basic rules for putting and how you can master golf putting drills.

 

You and the Putter- Play It Straight

 

Like the other golf clubs, holding the putter should be firm but not too tight or too weak. You have to make sure that you putt the ball having the face of the club being in the square position and not being open or closed. It doesn’t matter how you stand as long as your stance provides you with good balance. Do not sway your body as you putt. You can straighten your arms or bend them and you can choose to play the ball in between or off the left or the right foot.

 

How to Stroke the Ball

 

Think of the putter as a pendulum on a clock. It moves back and forth in a single smooth motion. Your hands just guide the club in this motion. Since there is no need you do not move your hips or legs. Your weight should be balanced on both feet through the putt. Make sure to keep your head down because pulling off can actually make the face of the putter open or close.

 

Reading the Green

 

Reading the green qualifies for “on the job training”. There is no better reference material for this than doing it. Start by figuring how the golf ball is going to break for your putt. You need to squat down behind your ball and then line up the ball to the hole. You should look for any ground slopes that will affect the putt. If you hit a ball slowly it will tend to break downward on the slope. You need to hit the ball hard enough to keep it moving along the slope until it gets to the hole. Many golfers tend to strike the ball too soft and end up with a short putt.

 

Judging Distance and Speed

 

Golf putting drills give you the chance to practice judging distance to the hole. Here is where experience counts. You should first “feel” the distance between the ball and the cup. Easy right? This takes practice and experience. The other factor is the “speed of the green”. Whether the grass is wet, the green slopes or the type of grain of grass it is all should be considered for determining ball speed. Hitting the ball too hard for a course with too much speed will cause the ball to go past the hole.

 

Bring Yourself to the Putting Green

 

So now that you have your golf putting drills you want to get to the putting course to try them out. If you find that your putts are turning either left or right you are probably turning the face of the putter as you strike the ball. You need to hold the putter more firmly. Also your feet might not be lined up properly with the target. If the tops of your shoes are not aligned directly with the hole  then the ball will move to the right or left accordingly. Also remember to keep your hands still and locked.

 

Devote sufficient time to putting and don’t just treat it like a small part of your golf game. The results will amaze you how much you will cut from your handicap.

For additional information on Golf Putting Drills visit Tips for Golf Swing.