Golf Tip Putting

By Stuart Smith – PGA Director of Golf

As we head into winter and temperatures prevent many of us from heading out to the golf course, it is a great time to work on some easy putting fundamentals in the comfort of our homes.

I recommend a few simple putting fundamentals:

1. Place the ball slightly left of center (right-handers), with hands centered slightly forward of the body. The putter shaft should be perpendicular to the ground. This allows the putter to catch the ball on the ascent of the putter head.

2. Eyes over the ball OR slightly inside the ball. You might have to adjust the length you are holding the putter to accomplish this.

3. I have found success in stabilizing my lower body by putting a little outward pressure on my knees. The lower body should remain stable with no side-to-side movement.

4. The motion of the putter includes a connection of the chest, shoulders, arms, hands, putter grip, and putter head all working at the same tempo. Research shows the best putters adhere closely to a 2:1 tempo on all length putts.

5. Allow the putter to swing on its natural arc. The putter is NOT designed to swing on a straight line but rather an arc, unlike a croquet mallet, which is designed to swing straight back and straight through.

PGA and LPGA Tour players have tempos of 62-72 beats per minute regardless of the length of putt they face, which equates to approximately .90 seconds of elapsed time. The “holy grail” of putting tempo is 2:1 as evidenced by most of your great players. This would equal .60 seconds on the backstroke and .30 seconds on the throughstroke. This highlights the acceleration through the ball. All of the putting greats do that.

Simply said, two syllables back and one syllable through – AP-PLE PIE recited at the same speed no matter the length of the putt. Strive for approximately .90 seconds total time (nearly one second) at this 2:1 tempo.

There are many apps and devices but if you are serious about improving, I recommend the Blast Motion Sensor for golf. It accurately measures 11 separate metrics – most importantly tempo. At least check out their website: https://golf.blastmotion.com/golf/

Need help with your putting this winter? Set up a lesson in our Short Game Arena here at the Country Club. Putting is one of the easiest things to improve upon with a little instruction. Our staff can be reached at 775-787-1800, Ext 2, or email me at ssmith@somersett. com to set an appointment.