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I've been a golfer for almost 50 years and know first hand the pain that missing putts brings. There are keys that touring professionals all do well on a regular basis on the putting greens. They have to do these well to survive.
If amateur golfers knew some of these keys it would go a long way to helping them putt more consistently resulting in quickly lowering their scores.
Here are some tips and drills on developing a good putting setup that will show how you to be a better putter.
As it is essential to have good golf swing basics in order to have a good golf swing, it stands to reason that a good putting set up is essential in order to develop a sound putting technique. A good putting set up will also create more consistency in your putting.
When a golfer develops a good putting set up and knows the correct fundamentals and implements them, they will putt much better and more consistently than someone who does not know the correct fundamentals.
What are the components of a good set up position. The components of a good set up are: Correct Grip Correct Stance Ball Positioning Alignment
Get the basics right and you are well on your way to developing a more efficient, repeating putting stroke.
Correct Putting Grip
The grip is the first part of the set up that we will concentrate on in building a solid set up and address position. Any golf swing needs to begin with a proper grip in order to become consistent, so that you do not have to compensate in any way during your putting stroke. The key to a correct putting grip is to hold the putter in the palms of your hands, which means both your left palm and your right palm will be facing each other. A way to see how this should look is if you hold a book between your hands, this is how your palms should be facing each other when placed on the putter grip. Your thumbs should both be pointing straight downwards, so that the lines between your thumbs and forefingers are also pointed straight down.
Grip Pressure
Grip pressure is very important and should not be too tight or too loose. Practise with the putter until you feel there is a slight lag. Don't confuse this with your wrists breaking. Practise until you can feel this little lag and that is the correct grip pressure you should use. Avoid gripping the putter too tightly as this will result in tension in your arms. Check this when under any pressure situation and take some practice putts until you feel the lag.
Correct Stance
Having the correct putting stance is a vital part of the set up as it will give you great stability allowing for a better putting stroke. You should stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, but this is not vital as some golfers are more comfortable with a wider stance and some with a narrower stance. Whatever stance width that you feel comfortable with, just ensure that you have a solid base from which you can stroke your putts. The putting stance is a very important part of your set-up. Your feet should typically be about shoulder width apart when setting up to your putts. How wide your stance should be is somewhat personal preference, so a slightly wider or narrower than shoulder width stance can be acceptable as long as you are comfortable and it is working for you. Typically, a good guideline is to keep your feet about shoulder width apart from each other. You want to make sure you have a nice, solid base from which to stroke your putt. Balance is a critical element in your putting, so make sure your stance allows you to have good balance and feel comfortable over the golf ball.
Adjustment In Your Set up
To get the purest roll possible on your putts, there is a specific adjustment you can make in your putting set-up to ensure you hit your putts with a slightly upward stroke and give it a pure roll. To do this, make sure to set-up with 60% of your weight on your front foot, so if you are a right handed player, have 60% of your weight on your left foot. Next, you want to tilt your spine slightly to the right or away from the hole. These two points will help you stroke your putt with a slightly upward motion which will give your ball the purest roll possible after it has been putted.
Correct Putting Alignment
Putting alignment is a critical component of your set up when preparing to putt on the putting greens. There are a few keys to setting up to the golf ball and lining up correctly. You want to have your feet, shoulders, hips, and forearms all parallel to the target line of your putt. If you are allowing for break in your putt, make sure to line up everything parallel with the line you are starting the ball on, not a line directly straight at the hole. Most putters on the market have a line on the top of the putter that is in the centre. Make sure to have the middle of your golf ball lined up with that line on the putter. I like to see golfers get set up to the golf ball by aligning their putter first. Then step into the stance and square up your feet, hips, shoulders, and arms. If you do this correctly you will eliminate many common errors in putting. No longer will it be necessary to try and compensate in your putting stroke. Your putter alignment will give you a nice solid base from which to build a consistent, repeatable putting stroke. Make sure your eyes are directly over the golf ball when setting up. This will allow you to see the line correctly.
Golf Ball Position In Your Set-up
Knowing where to play the golf ball in your stance is a big key to preparing to putt correctly. It's a good idea to make slight adjustments in your golf ball position if the greens are slower or faster. Play the ball a bit more forward on slower greens. This will allow the ball to coast easier above the grass on the green and roll better. For faster greens it's okay to play the ball a touch farther back on your stance but not farther back than the middle of the stance.
Learn how to get set up correctly and drain more one putts while eliminating three putts. A good set up helps promote a more perfect putting stroke.
Helpful Putting Stance Tip
It is very important to have your eyes are directly over the ball when putting. This ensures you will be able to see the line of your putt better. If you keep your eyes over the ball it will give you a better chance of seeing your line and putting the ball along it. Not being able to see the line correctly will reduce your chances of rolling the golf ball down your intended line.
Learn how to be a better putter by mastering these putting set up basics
