NOT FOUND: putting1.jpgAll you here about today is more distance, more distance, even more distance. I need a new driver, so I can hit it straighter and longer. Just make sure you know what you are after. If the only aspect of golf that satisfies your desire is being able to hit the ball long, that’s fine. If you want lower scores, then you need to look elsewhere. The USGA and club manufacturers’ have, more or less, put the limits on distance. Driving the ball is important, but let’s look at how putting can improve your game. In an eighteen hole round, you will hit your driver fourteen times. You will use your putter anywhere from 34 to 40 times (or strokes). If you are a good
putter, 28 to 34 times. Assuming you are trying to lower your score, you should start working on your putting.
NOT FOUND: putting2.jpgThe first thing to do is go to a pro shop and inquire about a fifteen minute lesson on putting fundamentals and putter fitting. In a decade which clubfitting has become prevalent with drivers, irons, and wedges, we should do the same for putting. As you get closer to the green, distance and direction become even more critical. If you mishit your putt, even if it only moves off your line to the hole slightly, it may cause you to miss. In a putter fitting, where you stand in relationship to the ball, ball position, eyeline over the ball or how far inside the line are fundamentals to consider. As far as the putter is concerned, your professional can either work with the putter you have and make adjustments in length and weight, or fit you into a new putter. The important part of putter fitting is what happens at impact. You want to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. Many golfers have putters with too much loft in them and when they
make their stroke, their hands get behind the ball at impact, increasing the loft of the face even more. More loft means the ball will jump off the ground too much (with poor contact, too) and affect the amount of roll, which affects your distance. If you are buying a new putter, consult your professional on the loft issue, so that it fits your style and fundamentals.
Working on putting usually isn’t the most fun thing to do. But, if you pick up an instruction book on putting or just go to the internet, you can discover all kinds of drills and ideas to keep you motivated to improve your putting.