Tips For Sinking More Putts And Improving Your Score
Posted on May 21, 2008
Filed Under putting, tips |
Never up, never in.
What does this mean to a golfer? It is almost always said to someone on the putting green, just as they left a put about six inches short. You will be called Nancy, or Alice, or something less flattering. It is frustrating, and it hurts your score – not to mention your confidence in your putter. So, what can you do? The answer is deviously simple, “hit the ball harder.”
Okay, that was too simple, but the idea is simple, too. Many people line up putts with the front lip of the hole in mind, and slightly misjudge the speed to put on the ball with the putt. If you aim at the very front of the hole, then you have to be nearly perfect in judging how hard to hit the ball, and still make it in. This means you have to factor in break, slope, imperfections on the green, wind, and a whole bunch of other factors, just so that your ball has a chance of going in. For many players, this strategy is too hard.
It is much better, and much safer, to instead aim for a spot about six inches past the hole, and put enough of a charge on the putt to get it there. There are three advantages to doing this. First, the more power you put behind a putt, the less it will be affected by the break in the green. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “putting through the break.” This means exactly as it sounds, you put enough emphasis behind it, and the ball goes through the break, and is unaffected by it. For short putts in particular, this is a very good idea. Second, putting some speed on the ball gives the ball enough momentum to get past small imperfections, like spike marks or uneven surfaces. It will roll happily over small spots on the green, and continue on its way. If you hit the ball softer, these imperfections have a much more pronounced effect. And third, most obviously, if you are aiming six inches past the hole, you have to be less perfect. A putt that would go in if the hole were actually six inches further away will likely still drop once it gets to the hole. As we said, if you only aim for the front, you have to be a perfect judge of distance. If you aim past the hole, you do not, you can be six inches short, or maybe even six inches long, and still sink the putt. Doing this increases your margin of error.
This may seem simple, but the best way to not leave your putt short, is to hit it long. There are clear advantages to doing so, and could save you not only a few strokes on your score, but also from being made fun of by your partners.
Comments
Leave a Reply
