Golf Coaching

This weeks tip is on Putting. This part of the game is ofter overlooked by golfers when practicing and taking lessons. However, it is the easiest way to reduce your score and is it involves the club that you will use for roughly half your shots, it is the most important part of the game.  From doing many putting lessons, I have found the things that most people find the hardest are correctly aiming the putter and being able to control the distance that the ball travels.

Aim: The most important factor with aim is the putter face. This is the only thing that makes contact with the golf ball and is more important than swing path and strike when it comes to starting the ball where you want to. Most modern putters will have some sort of line on them to aid you with alignment. I like to use a drill to help my students to make aiming simpler and also give immediate feedback on whether they have been successful. I will put two tees in the ground that are just wide enough for the golf ball to fit through and on the intended line the ball will travel to go into the hole. To start with have the tees about a foot infront of the golf ball and to make the drill harder, gradually move them further back. If you are aiming correctly, the ball should roll through the tees and into the hole. If not, you will hit the tees. If the ball goes through the tees but misses the hole, it could be that you have read the putt incorrectly or hit the putt with the wrong speed for the chosen line.

Distance Control: Knowing how hard to hit the ball for each putt can be very difficult, but it is a very important part of putting and improving your scores. The first thing to check if you are struggling with distance control is how you are striking the putts To be consistent and develop feel for how hard to hit the ball in lots of different situatons, the strike needs to be consistently out the middle of the putter. To check this on your own, position a tee next to the heel and toe of the putter with the golf ball in the middle. The aim is to miss the tees and strike the ball out the middle of the putter face. Once the srike is consistent, it is about controlling the swing length and tempo. The length of backswing determines how far the golf ball will travel. To have excellent distance control, the stroke should feel the same pace back and through. Often when players try to accelerate the putter, the stroke becomes more of a hit at the ball and the ball often goes to far past the hole. To practice distance control, try hitting putts from oa variety of lengths and both uphill and downhill. Trying to get the golf ball into the hole or withing 18 inches past the hole.

I hope this information helps your putting. For more information or a putting lesson please contact Hayling Professional Shop on 02392 464446.