Putting Golf Instruction – Introduction

The definition of a putt is a golf ball that is hit on a putting green with a putter. With that definition to what may seem as to be a simple part of the game of golf, I am going to take you on a journey without a destination.

Putting is extremely Influencial on your Golf Handicap

I know some of you have heard it before yet I am going to say it again. Anywhere between 40-50% of your score, my score and even Tiger Woods score is a result of putting. The first time you hear that number it seems to knock everyone over. As a matter of fact, the 100th time you hear it, it seems to knock everyone over.

Golfers Don’t Practice Putting Enough

There seems to be a major problem with that number. NOBODY DOES ANYTHING ABOUT IT. It has to be close to twenty years ago where that number became a popular thing to talk about. We have all kept track of our putts for the past 50 years but it wasn’t until someone placed a percent on the number of putts per round that really got us thinking.

Once upon a time it seems like we used to think if we had 29 putts or less we putted well and if we had 30 or more we didn’t talk about it. Then all of the sudden we wake up one morning and someone says “do you know that 38% of your round today was putting”. Of course the next stat to come along shortly there after was what percent of your round was from inside 100 yards. We will discuss that at another time.

Back to the 38% of your round on the putting green that was enough for anyone to take notice, except us and I mean ALL of us. The 18 handicap golfer averages 36 putts per round. You can run but you can not hide 40% of 90 is 36 putts per round.

You can be a Great Putter

You and I may not ever hit the golf ball as far as Tiger or as straight as Tom Kite but we can all learn to improve our putts per round percentage and I mean all of us. That is exactly what this part of the program is designed to do.

I am going to give you some mechanical techniques and then move on to some mental advice. From there I am going to explain how you can teach yourself to become a great green reader. After all these years I am so convinced if I could read your putts for you it would eliminate three putting the world over. I will wrap it up with what I refer to as the picture. The picture is the secret you have been looking for so you can become “The Best Putter in Town”.

When you have finished this program and spent four to eight weeks working on the information I have passed on to you it will change your golf life FOREVER.

Remember putting is a journey NOT a destination. Grab your putter and three golf balls and let’s get started.

Putting Mechanics

For the better part of the past 51 years, I have spent it either working on my golf game or helping golfers all over the world improve their golf game. When I work on an idea I have two thoughts in mind. The first thought is can I make this idea work for me and the second thought is will this help me help amateur golfers improve? Those two thoughts are always with me.

Don’t let there be any misunderstanding. I have come across some thoughts that work for me but don’t apply to the amateur golfer. I have been the guinea pig for many ideas I have come across.

The Putting Stroke – Straight Back – Straight Through

The reason I went into depth about this subject is because when I tell you something I believe in I have spent many hours practicing, researching and then applying it to my way of communicating to students.

I am telling you right now that I am aware there are many ways to do different things in this world, but, I have no idea why anyone would swing the putter any other way than STRAIGHT BACK AND STRAIGHT THROUGH.

I know that was a long way around for me to get you to understand how passionate I am about the putting stoke. I have read and studied every conceivable way to swing a putter and I will go to my grave knowing that the easiest, consistent and most accurate way to swing a putter is STRAIGHT BACK AND STRAIGHT THROUGH.

Now I am going to tell you why.

Why Straight Back – Straight Through Works

You have to stand across from the golf ball when you putt. When you stand across from the golf ball on the full swing, the golf club swings back on an arc.(#3) The reason it swings back on an arc is because you are standing so far from the golf ball and the club is bent in such a fashion that the golf club has to swing INSIDE of a slight arc.

With that being said, when you address a golf ball with a putter, you are standing much closer than the full swing. The second reason the putter has to swing back straight is because the putter is designed to swing straight back. The putter is much more upright than the other 13 clubs in your bag.(#4)

Lastly, it is much easier to swing the putter back straight with a square clubface than to let the putter swing inside on an arc with the face opening and then swing it back down on the arc and try and to square the clubface up at impact.

By now I hope you are getting the idea that although I know some golfers have had success without swinging the putter back and forth straight, I do not believe it is the easiest, consistent and most accurate way.

For us to move forward I had to give it to you straight (no pun intended). Now let’s move on to the set-up.

 Check out our next article:  How To Putt In Golf – (Part 2)