Next 10 Putting Lessons

Lesson 116-Balance is critical to a consistent stroke. Position of the feet are critical to balance. Feet move last to balance your set up.

Lesson 117-Uneven lies on the green requires an adjustment. Don't change distance from the ball. Adjust your knee flex to maintain balance.

Lesson 118-Match Lesson 117 with moving your hands up or down on the grip to maintain a consistent ball position and posture on uneven lies.

Lesson 119-It helps to fit a putter longer than needed. The game is played on uneven surfaces. More length allows you to adjust for balance.

Lesson 120-When you analyze your stroke on a perfect surface, think about the adjustments you need to make when conditions aren't perfect.Reply

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Lesson 121- Is it possible that what we find works perfectly under laboratory conditions, might not produce the perfect results outdoors?

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Lesson 122-Great putters adapt to different conditions. They don't recreate their method. Adapt don't overhaul is a key to improved putting.

Lesson123-Loft is your friend. It doesn't take much but you need some. Especially if your hands lead the putter and the shaft leans forward.

Lesson 124-Many golfers deloft the putter - lean the shaft forward - on longer putts. If you do, you need some loft on the putter to start.

Lesson 125-All players have preferences or favorite putts. Change strategy-not mechanics for better results on the putts where you struggle.

Putting Lessons 106-115

Lesson 106- A shift in balance during the stroke requires a reaction of the hands to compensate, otherwise you mishit the putt. Stay steady.

Lesson 107-Maintaining balance during your putting stroke requires a precise static fit. Check your impact points on the putter. Scattered?

Lesson 108-Balanced set up? Set up to the ball with your putter. Lift putter very slightly off the ground. Close your eyes. Are you stable?

Lesson 109-Balanced setup = Consistent impact on the putter. If this is true does this mean that a high moi head masks an unbalanced setup?

Lesson 110-Balance is key in putting. Body balance=stable posture. Stable posture=consistent stroke. Final piece of the puzzle? Putter Fit.

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Lesson 111 - All putter fits should start without a putter. Forced postures regardless if forced by club or instructor DONT WORK.

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Lesson 112-Balance check. Video your putting stroke from down the line. Set up with eyes open. Make the stroke- eyes closed. Did you adjust?
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Lesson 113-Consistency is critical in reading greens. The only way to predict where the ball will finish is to know where it will start.

Lesson 114-Consistency starts with set up. Putter first, eyes adjust, then hands, then shoulders, feet last. NOT feet first and then twist.

Lesson 115-Do you stand the same distance from the ball on right to left breaking putts as left to right? Many do not! See Lesson 114

Daily Lessons 96-105

Lesson 96-Impact other than the bottom of the arc requires compensations to maintain correct putter speed, loft, and face angle to target.

Lesson 97 -Moving impact from the bottom if the arc is often a function of fitting your stroke to the putter you use. Forward press is an example.

Lesson 98- Building stroke mechanics are about making knowledgeable choices. How many compensations can you use consistently?

Lesson 99-Dont confuse stroke plane, putter path and putter rotation. They are three separate measurements and should be analyzed separately.

Lesson 100-When the putter is in motion the only direction that counts is the direction at impact and does the face compliment the path?

Lesson 101-The better the putter stays on plane the more likely you are to match aim and impact. Impact=direction, aim is the start position.

Lesson 102- Review - Find stroke plane that works best for you. Tilt the plane to compliment your release. Match stroke length to distance.

Lesson 103-Matching stroke plane to target line does not guarantee success. Why? Putter face controls direction NOT PATH. Control the face!

Lesson 104-When you swing a putter off plane it is difficult to maintain proper rotation. Typically the face twists shut. Harder to control.

Lesson 105-Staying on plane is a matter of making a stroke while maintaining your balance. It doesn't take much movement to alter a stroke.

The Next 10 Putting Lessons

Lesson 86-Stroke Plane-The putterhead moves on a plane determined by how far you are from the ball NOT by the lie angle of the putter shaft.

Lesson 87 - Staying on plane means stroke matches set up and that enhances stability. Example: ALL yips are a result of off plane strokes.

Lesson 88-Putter Design matters. If the putter is balanced to swing on a plane different than the player's stroke plane-stroke is unstable.

Lesson 89-Signs a stroke is off plane? Grip is never comfortable-heavier putter seems to help-anxiety on short putts-Stroke is never smooth.

 

Lesson 90-A smooth motion appears to move slowly. Strokes on plane swing smoothly. Tempo issues often a result when putter swings off plane.

Lesson 91-Stroke Plane? Imagine a sheet of plywood from the base of your neck to the ball, tilted to your tendencies.

Lesson 92- Putter path is not defined by a line on the ground. It is a 3 dimensional, up and down back and forth. Stay on plane not on line!

Lesson 93-Very important part of staying on plane is to maintain the vertical aspect of the stroke. Don't manipulate. Maintain the arc.

Lesson 94-It is easier to stay on plane if impact is at the bottom of the arc!

Lesson 95-Good things happen at the bottom of the arc. Hard to decel a putt at the apex of the stroke. Gravity helps until putter starts up.

Putting Lessons 76-85

Lesson 76-Practice with an awareness of feel is very important. Feel is what allows us to repeat the motion. Mechanics + Timing = Feel.

Lesson 77- Hold or release-Up tempo or Slow. Long stroke or short. Identify what works for you in what combination is how you develop Feel.

Lesson 78-Practice feel. Use dry erase maker and mark the back of the ball -dime size- Hit the putt. Check the marks. Did real match feel?

Lesson79-Working on alignment is not always about perfectly parallel. In putting a little closed or open can be a good thing. Find your way!

Lesson 80-Face 82% of Direction the Path 18%. Never assume the face swings square to the path. Use path to offset the position of the face.

Lesson 81-You have to assume your stroke has some arc! The more vertical the stroke plane the straighter the appearance, but it still arcs.

Lesson 82-The idea of a diagonal alignment is as old as golf. Modern technology proves it is the most efficient way to play. Putt or Swing.

Lesson 83-A closed or open stance in putting is not something to automatically fix. It might be the best thing you do, if you know why?

Lesson 84-Use your stance to assist your release of the putter. Open stance slows rotation at impact, closed helps increase rotation/release

Lesson 85-Cant say enough-Face angle at impact is 4 times more influential than direction of path. Face position relative to path tells all!

Putting Help Continued

Lesson 66- Spend some time practicing mechanics without judging the result. Use impact tape to judge consistency.

Lesson 67-Absolute must! Make green reading part of every putt-Practice or in Play. Make the process of setting up to what you read a habit.

Lesson 68-Good aim does not guarantee accurate impact. Problem is reaction to putter balance and offset during the stroke. Blame the putter.

Lesson 69-A test to see if your putter works with you or against you. 

On a flat surface with no break AND NO TARGET, take a piece of masking tape 1 inch X 4.5 inches and put it on the green. Now take your putter and set it so the leading edge matches the long edge of the tape. Put a ball down and from this position make a stroke. Repeat the procedure 5 or more times. Try as best as you can to make the same stroke each time. Since there is no target there is no need for a correction.

Once you have a pattern, leave the golf balls on the green. Tie some string to a tee and bisect the tape on the ground  so when you extend the string it is perpendicular to the tape and on a similar line to the rolling golf balls. Where are the golf balls relative to this line? If they are predominantly left or right then you can assume there is a conflict between you stroke and the putter.

Lesson 70-Did you try the test lesson 69?  What was your result? Don't change stroke, find the right putter.

Lesson 71- When choosing putter-you get what you settle for. Discover what you need and then find a company that builds that putter for you.

Lesson 72-Preparation is visual, stroke is feel based. Best way to develop feel is to make the strokes for Lesson 69 with your eyes closed.

Lesson 73-Practice for feel. Eyes closed and focus on the movement of the toe of the putter. Never let the heel move faster than toe.

Lesson74 - Develop a feel for square at impact. Focus on the position of your hands. If it feels awkward check the grip. Is it on correctly?

Lesson 75-How much feel are you will to trade for putter forgiveness? Learning to control your hands in the stroke requires accurate feel.

Lessons 56 through 65

Lesson56-Maintaining a consistent club position to the path means a consistent hand position to the path-not the target line-common mistake.

Lesson 57- Path shape of the putter swing is a delivery system to impact. Big Arc or No Arc,There is no best way! Best? Your natural stroke.

Lesson 58-Most putting problems come when we try to match a method that doesn't suit our tendencies. Don't always fight what seems natural.

Lesson 59-Review-Stroke mechanics-Eyes tell you where to stand. Fit putter to that set up. Identify a source of motion, use it consistently.

Lesson 60-Target location and set up is a visual process. The stroke is a mechanical process. You can't aim a moving object-swing not steer

Lesson 61-We react to what we see, but it takes 200ms to process. Average forward swing to impact takes 350ms. Can't fix a stroke in motion.

Lesson 62-Visual interference or reacting to what we think we see will ruin your putting stroke. Practice mechanics with eyes closed helps.

Lesson 63-Narrow focus can create anxiety and tension. Observe all, focus on nothing. Blank stare and a still head enhances feel of the putt.

Lesson 64-Many missed putts due to unnecessary correction of an anticipated miss. Learn your stroke then make that stroke with confidence.

Lesson 65-Confidence comes from practice. Best practice focuses on consistent setup and source of motion. Practice "how" to conquer "where".