Putting

By Scott Sackett

KEY THOUGHTS ON PUTTING:

The goal in putting is quite simple: Get the ball in the hole. As with all areas of the game, developing a consistent putting stroke affords you the greatest opportunity to accomplish this task. However, putting is not a science but a physical action. Therefore, try to maintain an athletic disposition when putting. There are only two things you should be concerned with when putting: distance and direction. Many things—such as the slope of the green, grain of the grass, time of day, and weather conditions—can influence a putt, but once these factors have been considered, you must simply decide how far you want the ball to travel and along what line. Of the two, distance is more important than direction. Since the cup is almost three times as wide as the ball, there is room for error in direction. Even with long putts, if you are consistent with your distance, your ball will end up somewhere near the hole. Conversely, your direction is irrelevant if you consistently hit putts either too hard or too soft. Amateurs tend to hit their putts too soft.

Goal: Aim it/stroke it/get it in the hole.

Scotty Cameron, golf-putter designer for Titleist

GRIP FACE ON

GRIP SIDE VIEW

SET UP FACE ON

CHARACTERISTICS OF PUTTING:

- light grip pressure, around 3 or so on scale of 1–10
- square stance (feet parallel left to 12 o’clock)
- ball position forward in stance off left eye
- 50/50 weight equally balanced on both feet
- eyes over or slightly inside the ball’s target line
- hands hanging directly under shoulders
- head very steady
- putter in front of body center
- allowing the putter to swing on its natural arc
- hands quiet throughout the stroke
- backswing and follow-through approximately same length
- hit and hold position