Tip From The Pro – Putting: The Money Shots

You may have heard the phrase, “you drive for show and putt for dough” but when purchasing equipment or practicing, this old saying seems to be flipped as the majority of golfers spend all their money and time on the driver.  There is no question that it is very tough to shoot a good score if you drive it into the trees every hole, and obviously it’s way more fun to smash a tee shot down the middle than it is to roll in a three footer; but let’s look at what affects your score and how we can fix it.

If we break down an 18 hole golf round by the pars and what club we would hit off the tee you will notice how to save some strokes.

            Par 3’s = Four              Total par = 12

            Par 4’s = Ten               Total par = 40

            Par 5’s = Four              Total par = 20

                                                   Total par = 72

By looking at this you will see that in a round of golf, most average players will hit their driver 14 times (all par 4s and par 5s) but in 18 holes you will putt on 18 greens and the average player will take 2 putts per hole for a total of 36 putts.

Most players will investigate what driver is right for them but then get a putter from a garage sale or from a friend or family member that doesn’t want it anymore.  There are many different kinds of putters and when picking a putter there are a few things that will really assist you in putting better. 

There are really only two things that matter when picking a putter, everything else can be modified to fit your body type by a CPGA Professional.

• First, you must find a putter that looks good to your eye; if you don’t like the look you will not putt well with it.
• Second, pick a putter that suits your stroke.

A putter with an offset hosel will allow you to rotate the putter head through your stroke – these are great for players that push putts : 

A putter with no offset will allow you to keep the putter head more square through your stroke – these are great for people that pull putts :

Once you have a putter that suits your stroke, the putting action is very easy.  In this description we will be using a right handed player as an example.

1. Grip the club with your right hand first, when you put your left hand on, lay your index finger over the fingers of your right hand, both thumbs should be resting on the flat (top) part of the putter grip.  This will create a nice V with your arms.
2. Position the ball slightly inside the big toe of your front foot, this will allow you to strike the ball on the upswing and impart top spin on the ball.
3. Distribute your weight with 60% on your front foot – 40% on your back foot.
4. Rock your shoulders back and forth (like a pendulum).  Don’t swing with your arms or break your wrists.  Putting is all about speed.  By not breaking your wrists your distance control in putting will greatly improve.

As you can see putting will have the greatest effect on your score and by lowering your putts per round from an average of 36 to about 28-30 your score will improve dramatically.

To book a lesson with Steve or another CPGA Professional please call 1-877-877-3889

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