Putting is a game within the game. It’s a separate athletic motion that takes time to define and refine. Practice your putting stroke, because making more putts is no joke.
First, you need to start with a good set-up that includes your stance, balance, posture, arms and eyes to position correctly.
Your stance and balance should begin with engaging your core muscles, and your feet should feel like they are glued to the ground. A solid core helps create a stable base that prevents any movement from your legs. Any leg movement will cause inconsistency and make it very difficult to control the speed of your ball when you putt.
Your eyes should be over the ball or slightly to inside of the ball. This will allow you to see the line over which you want the ball to roll and also help support the natural swing path of the head of the putter.
Next, connect the upper part of your arms against your chest. If your arms are disconnected and hanging too lose and away from your body, then your putting stroke will be very inconsistent.
Finally, play around with the forward tilt of your body, as this will help determine which path or arc the putter will move. The more forward tilt of your torso, the more straight back and straight through path your putter will follow. The more upright your torso, the more of an arc the putter will follow.
The goal of a good putting stroke is to limit any excess movement, and this usually begins by limiting the movements of your hands, wrists and legs, as mentioned earlier. If your hands and wrists are flippy throughout the stroke, the path and speed of the putter will be too inconsistent.
To begin moving the putter, focus on rotating your core around the spine. The motion of the putter should come from the core and not from your hands, arms or shoulders. When the movement is driven by the core you will feel your hands, arms and shoulders connected and working together.
Finally, your putting stroke is truly connected to your body when the butt end of the putter stays the same distance from your body throughout the entire stroke. When the butt end of the putter increases its distance from the body anywhere in your stroke, it immediately becomes disconnected from your body and makes it difficult to repeat the path of your stroke.
The goal of golf is to get the ball in the hole with as few strokes as possible. Take a little time to focus on improving your putting. When you hear that special sound of the ball rolling around in the cup, it’ll be music to your ears.
Peter Harris is the director of Golf at the Fore-U Golf Center in West Lebanon. His column appears weekly on the Recreation page during the golf season.