Joe,
Most of the putts I miss are pulled. I do not want to try anything unconventional to fix this, so I am really concentrating on a perfectly squared stance and keeping my stroke straight back and thru, but unless I try to push it on purpose, the pull is always there. What can I do?
Pat
Hello Pat,
Everyone has natural tendencies. Some instructors will categorize you as a natural push or pull in terms of how many inches left or right (on a 10 foot putt), and then simply tell you to aim that much away from the hole. If that works for you, fine, but in many cases I have found that a squared stance can cause a pull if your ball position is too far forward. Be careful what you consider to be unconventional, open your mind to other possibilities like closing your stance a little by moving your back foot away from the line, and allowing your backstroke to be slightly inside the line. I challenge you to have a contest using this method against your usual method. I predict this new method has a good chance of winning.
Joe
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Joe,
I think I have a pretty good putting stroke because I can make straight putts, but I am always mis-reading breaking putts. Sometimes I am not even sure if a putt will break left or right. Is there anything I can try so I can read breaking putts better?
Elmer
Hi Elmer,
Stand on any flat surface (any floor indoors is usually not sloped), close your eyes and notice how your heels feel at the same level as your toes. Also the surface is not causing you to lean to keep your balance. Then find a sloped surface like a driveway or sidewalk and do the same drill. You will probably feel your toes higher or lower than your heels depending on the slope. You will also notice you have to lean a little bit to keep your balance. This also can work on a putting green to give you an idea of which way a putt will break if you are not sure. Another method to try is plumb-bobbing, where you use your putter’s shaft as a plumb-bob by dangling it in front of you as you view the cup. If the cup appears perpendicular to the shaft, the putt is straight. If the cup is tilted, the putt should break in the downward direction of the tilt. It also helps while you are on the fairway to get an overall view of the area around the green to see which way rain water is likely to drain from the green, because putts will generally break in that direction, especially toward ponds or streams. Try these and let us know if they helped.
Joe
I think I have a pretty good putting stroke because I can make straight putts, but I am always mis-reading breaking putts. Sometimes I am not even sure if a putt will break left or right. Is there anything I can try so I can read breaking putts better?
Elmer
Hi Elmer,
Stand on any flat surface (any floor indoors is usually not sloped), close your eyes and notice how your heels feel at the same level as your toes. Also the surface is not causing you to lean to keep your balance. Then find a sloped surface like a driveway or sidewalk and do the same drill. You will probably feel your toes higher or lower than your heels depending on the slope. You will also notice you have to lean a little bit to keep your balance. This also can work on a putting green to give you an idea of which way a putt will break if you are not sure. Another method to try is plumb-bobbing, where you use your putter’s shaft as a plumb-bob by dangling it in front of you as you view the cup. If the cup appears perpendicular to the shaft, the putt is straight. If the cup is tilted, the putt should break in the downward direction of the tilt. It also helps while you are on the fairway to get an overall view of the area around the green to see which way rain water is likely to drain from the green, because putts will generally break in that direction, especially toward ponds or streams. Try these and let us know if they helped.
Joe
