Scratch’s Top Putting Tips!
Every golfer has heard the saying, “Drive for show, putt for dough.” And unlike a lot of other things said on a golf course, that one’s actually true! Think about it: half the game is putting! The best way to shave strokes from your game is by working backwards, from the bottom of the cup on out. So here are Scratch best tips for putting greatness!
Spend More Time Practicing Putting
Seems simple, huh? To improve, you’ll need to practice more. Almost half of your strokes on the course are usually putts. But be honest, do you spend almost half of your practice time on your short game? If you want to decrease your score, that’s what you’ll need to do.
You don’t even need to go to your course’s putting green. It’s easy to set up your own putting green in your backyard or even the basement! Check out my putting aids to get you set up!
Learn How To Read The Green
If you can pick up this skill, you can be your own caddie! Every green is different and you’ll need to take texture, topography, and moisture into consideration when planning your putt. HowStuffWorks.com explains:
“As Eric Alpenfels, Cary Heath and Bob Christina advise in their book Instinct Putting, you should start evaluating the green while you’re approaching it on the fairway because you’ve got the best perspective on the topography from a distance. Keep in mind that greens usually have what is called the “architect’s slope,” which enables them to drain quickly after a heavy rain. That generally means that the green will slope toward the fairway.
If your approach shot lands to the left of the hole, your putt will break from left to right. If it lands on the right side, it’ll break from right to left. Short of the hole, you’ll have an uphill putt, but if your ball lands beyond the hole, you’ll be putting downhill. Another important detail to watch for is the fall line, or the contour of the green. If your ball is on the left side of the fall line, it will tend to break from left to right, while on the opposite side the reverse is true.”
Stop Those Three-Putts
The odds of holing a putt longer than 35 feet are not high, but the chance of three-putting from this distance is good. Dave Pelz explains how to avoid those frustrating three-putts:
“On all putts longer than 35 feet, imagine that the hole is a 6-foot circle and try to get your ball within the circumference of it. This makes the putt look much easier, and you’ll actually end up holing one every once in a while. You can also use this circle rule on putts from less than 35 feet, but make sure you get the ball past the cup. I call this region the ‘Safe Zone.’ When you’re rolling the ball into the Safe Zone, you’re rolling it great.”
Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Mike Perpich provides another great tip on how to turn your head to line up putts in this video below.
What’s your favorite putting tip Rock Heads? Let me know in the comments below!
