How to Swing a Golf Club – Putting (cont.)
Hello Again!
With today’s discussion of how to swing a golf club, I want to continue with the art of putting in today’s post for a couple of reasons. One, it doesn’t matter how or when you get to the green if you can’t putt the hole. Two, I really believe that this is the area of golf where the most people could make up the most strokes. And as well all know, it’s “drive for show, putt for dough.”
I found an article from pga.com that gave me a pretty good insight into my putting troubles. The article talks about whether it’s correct to take the putter straight back and straight forward or to swing on a plane. To sum up the author’s thoughts, if you take the putter straight back and forward, you are much more likely to open and/or close your putter face upon striking the ball. I wish I had heard that about ten years ago! I basically learned that I’m wasting my time lining up my putts because I’m not going to follow my line anyway!!!
The other problem I, and many others, have with putting is what we do with our eyes. I know I end up watching the ball in front of me before it is ever really in front of me (so much for paying any attention to where I’m striking the ball). The article describes a way to check to see if you are positioning your eyes correctly during a putt. I’m fairly certain that my eyes have been correctly positioned during 10% or fewer of my putts during my golf “career.”
So to sum up the no-no’s of putting: swing on a plane and position your eyes correctly. I went out yesterday to try putting on a plane for the first time, and it felt strange to me. So like anything else, practice makes perfect. I hope this was helpful to you!
Here is a link to the article:
http://www.pga.com/improve/tips/shortgame/improve_weeks033007.cfm
If you have any other putting advice, let me hear it!
Matt