Are you shaky with your putting?
The greens at golf courses all around the Upper Valley are in their best condition in years. Its summertime, and the greens are rolling fast and true.
Many golfers with shaky putting skills are doing a dance with their lower bodies throughout the stroke. This shaky dance may work for us at weddings, alumni reunions and nightclubs, but not on the putting green.
Solid putting starts with a solid foundation. The putting stroke is best delivered with the shoulders, arms and hands working in unison while the rest of the body is quiet, the head included. Ultimately, if you don’t make the first putt, you’re trying to two-putt and save strokes to your scorecard. If your legs are dancing, your ability to hit a solid putt at the desired pace and direction becomes next to impossible.
Establishing good posture is the start of building a solid foundation. Tilt your upper body from the hips and bend your knees so your arms hang comfortably. Your feet should be no wider than shoulder width, and you should feel athletic and balanced.
If you’re not sure what feeling balanced is like, grab your putter and find a garden hose to stand on. Stand with the instep or arch in the middle of your feet centered directly on the hose. The idea is to find your weight distribution and balance, where your heels and toes are applying equal pressure on the ground.
You can make this more difficult by turning the hose on and filling the tube with water. Now you’ll really work harder to establish a balanced posture with both heels and toes off the ground!
When in balance, you will feel your legs, glutes and core engage, providing stability to your lower body. The goal is to maintain this balance and stability throughout the entire stroke. Practice some putts standing on the hose and feel the minor adjustments you make to maintain your balance. This will happen intuitively.
Step off the hose and recreate the balanced feel while standing directly on the ground. Your feet should feel glued into the ground. A quieter and more stable lower body with no movement during the putting stroke will allow you to develop consistency when managing speed, distance and accuracy. Watch the pros, as they do this beautifully.
So keep your lower body still and stop dancing. The putting green is no dance floor!
Peter Harris is the director of Golf at the Fore-U Golf Center in West Lebanon. His column appears in the weekly Recreation page during the golf season.