PurePoint Golf Putting Fundamentals Part One —Denition of Putting: The Only Shot You Have to Hit on Every Hole
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Part Two —Club Selection: Length, Weight, Weight, Lie, Grip, Style
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Part Three —The Method: Why It Works
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Part Four —The Setup: Ball Centered or Slightly Forward Forward in Stance
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Part Five —The Setup: Clubhead and Shaft
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Part Six —The Setup: Your Eyes
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Part Seven —The Setup: Your Posture
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Part Eight —Aiming: The Reason You Never Make the Short Ones?
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Part Nine —The Backswing: Swing the “Y”
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Part Ten —The Backswing: Straight Back
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Part Eleven —The Backswing: The Right Shoulder Tilts Tilts Up
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Part Twelve —The Downswing: Straight Down
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Part Thirteen —The Follow-Through: The Left Shoulder Shou lder Tilts Up
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Part Fourteen —The Follow-Through: Clubface Square and Low to the Ground
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Part Fifteen —Reading Grain: Bent or Bermuda
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Part Sixteen —Mental Game: “Can’t” “Can’t” Never Did A Darn Thing Th ing
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You Think Part Seventeen —Reading Putts: Easier Than You
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Part Eighteen —Drills: Practice Your Your Touch Touch
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Part Nineteen —The Name of the Game: Distance, not Direction
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Part Twenty —Left Hand Low: I Believe This is the Best Putting Grip
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Art: It’s Part Twenty-One —Science or Art: It’s a Stroke
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Part Twenty-Two —Greens: Love Them All
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Part Twenty-Three —The Picture: Track the Ball into the Hole Before You Hit Your Putt
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Part Twenty-Four —Training Aids: The Best Ones I Know Of
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Talking about How Bad You You Are: Tips and Reminders Part Twenty-Five —Stop Talking
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PurePoint Golf Putting Fundamentals Part One —Denition of Putting: The Only Shot You Have to Hit on Every Hole
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Part Two —Club Selection: Length, Weight, Weight, Lie, Grip, Style
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Part Three —The Method: Why It Works
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Part Four —The Setup: Ball Centered or Slightly Forward Forward in Stance
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Part Five —The Setup: Clubhead and Shaft
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Part Six —The Setup: Your Eyes
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Part Seven —The Setup: Your Posture
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Part Eight —Aiming: The Reason You Never Make the Short Ones?
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Part Nine —The Backswing: Swing the “Y”
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Part Ten —The Backswing: Straight Back
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Part Eleven —The Backswing: The Right Shoulder Tilts Tilts Up
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Part Twelve —The Downswing: Straight Down
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Part Thirteen —The Follow-Through: The Left Shoulder Shou lder Tilts Up
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Part Fourteen —The Follow-Through: Clubface Square and Low to the Ground
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Part Fifteen —Reading Grain: Bent or Bermuda
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Part Sixteen —Mental Game: “Can’t” “Can’t” Never Did A Darn Thing Th ing
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You Think Part Seventeen —Reading Putts: Easier Than You
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Part Eighteen —Drills: Practice Your Your Touch Touch
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Part Nineteen —The Name of the Game: Distance, not Direction
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Part Twenty —Left Hand Low: I Believe This is the Best Putting Grip
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Art: It’s Part Twenty-One —Science or Art: It’s a Stroke
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Part Twenty-Two —Greens: Love Them All
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Part Twenty-Three —The Picture: Track the Ball into the Hole Before You Hit Your Putt
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Part Twenty-Four —Training Aids: The Best Ones I Know Of
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Talking about How Bad You You Are: Tips and Reminders Part Twenty-Five —Stop Talking
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Part One—Definition of Putting The Only Shot You Have to Hit on Every Hole The denition of a putt is a golf shot that is hit with a putter on a putting green. What may seem to be be a simple part of the game of golf is actually one of the most important parts of the game. Barring any lucky hole-outs, a putt is the only shot you have to hit on every hole. Anywhere between 40% and 50% of a golfer’s score—your score, my score, even Tiger Woods’s Woods’s score—is a result of putting. That number seems to knock everyone over. But there is a major problem with that number. Nobody does anything about it. That statistic became a popular subject to talk about close to twenty years ago. We have all kept track of our putts for the past 50 years, but it wasn’t until someone placed a percentpercen tage on the number of putts per round that we really got thinking. Once upon a time, we thought if we had 29 putts or less in a round that we had putted well. If we had 30 or more, we didn’t didn’t talk about it. Then all of a sudden someone says, “Do you know that 38% of your round today was putting?” This statistic was enough for everyone to take notice, except we—and I mean mea n all of us—didn’t do anything about it. The 18-handicap golfer g olfer averages 36 putts per round. You You can run, but you cannot hide—40% of 90 strokes is 36 putts per round. round . You and I may never hit the golf ball as a s far as Tiger or as straight as Tom Kite, but we can all learn to improve our percentage of putts per round. That is exactly what this part of the program is designed to do. I am going to teach you some mechanical techniques and then move on to some mental advice. From there I am going to explain how you can teach teac h yourself to become a great green reader. After all these years, I am convinced I could eliminate three-putting around the world with my green-reading technique. 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 nished this program and spent four to eight weeks working on the information I have passed on to you, your golf life will change forever. forever. Remember, putting is a journey, journey, not a destination. Grab your putter and three golf balls, and let’s let’s get started.
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Part Two—Club Selection Length, Weight, Weight, Lie, Grip, Style If someone told me there are one million patents on putters, I would probably respond by saying, “Is that all?” In the past 50 years, I am sure I have picked picke d up at least one million putters pu tters in golf shops all over the world. I am also sure I have tried out or bought at least fty thousand of them. Let’s Let’s agree on one way wa y to improve your putting temporarily—buy a new putter. It never fails to im prove your putting—temporarily. putting—temporarily. Now let’s let’s agree on one other thing. You You cannot buy a long-term x to your putting woes. If you are happy with the putter you are using, you can skip this part and move on to the next section. If you are not happy with your current putter, allow me to walk you through the ve most important things you have to consider before you buy a new putter. • • • • •
Length Weight Lie Grip Shape and Size Style
Most putters range in length from 33 to 36 3 6 inches. The most important thing to keep in mind when you are trying out a new putter is the sole of the clubhead must rest on the ground.
Correct Length
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If the putter is too long, you will have to stand too far from the golf ball, and the toe of the putter might sit off the ground.
Putter Too Long
If the putter is too short, you will have to stand too close to the golf ball, and the heel of the putter might sit off the ground.
Putter Too Short
What you have to keep in mind is that you should not try to adjust your stance and posture to match the putter you are using. You should nd the putter that matches your stance and posture. The slightest adjustment you make in your stance and posture can throw off your stroke.
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Adjust the t of the putter to you. Do not adjust yourself to the putter.
There is not a standard weight for putters in the industry, so putters come in many different weights. The manufacturing companies do not stamp the weight on the putters. Some putters are “head” heavy, meaning there is more weight in the head, and some putters have the weight evenly distributed throughout the entire putter. As far as the weight is concerned, no one can tell you what feels good to you. You might like a putter that is much lighter than mine, or you might like a really heavy putter. There is some logical advice you may want to follow, such as using a lighter putter if you p lay on really fast greens, but the weight of the putter is personal preference. The lie of the putter plays a much larger role than golfers realize. If golfers did realize the importance of a putter’s lie, they would buy putters that t them properly. Instead, golfers buy improperly-tted putters and then adjust to the putters in their setup. A putter that is too long will cause you to stand too far from the ball, and the toe of the putter will sit up in the air. With the toe in the air, the heel of the putter will get stuck in the putting surface during the downswing, and the toe will pass the heel during impact. Of course, if the putter is too short and the heel is in the air, the toe will get stuck in the putting surface during the downswing, and the heel will pass the toe during impact. Make sure you nd the putter that ts you. Contrary to what most golfers think, the grip is not the most important part of the putter. As soon as I say those words, you are going to tell me how your grip has to have three wraps of silk and one wrap of orange foam. Believe me, I know what you are talking about. I have used the exact same type of grip for 25 years, and I have to personally put the grip on all of my putters because I put the grip on sideways. For the masses, there are two or three types of popular grips that manufacturers use. Most grips have a at pad on the top of the grip that provides for a more comfortable and secure putting grip. Let’s move on to what I consider to be the single most important aspect of choosing a putter—the four S’s. • • • •
Shape Size Style “Sweep you off your feet” look
What I am about to tell you should be the deciding factor when you buy the correct putter for you. If the putter does not sweep you off your feet, do not buy it.
There is a putter out there with your name on it. You just have to nd it. You can get tted for the most high-tech equipment available, or you can buy the hottest $300 putter. But if the putter does not wow you, it isn’t the putter for you.
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I putted with the same putter for the past 25 years. I feel lucky that I found one I loved. Then, four years ago I was standing by the practice green at TPC Scottsdale the week of the FBR Open. I saw a Tour Rep walk onto the green with a putter, and from 20 yards away I knew I had to have that putter. I had to wait three months to get one, but the second I put it into my hands, it was exactly what I suspected—it felt great. I have used that putter now for four years. Remember, new and expensive does not equal one-putts. I have bought most of my favorite putters at garage sales or the $10 barrel of used clubs. No matter where you get your putter, get wowed or don’t buy.
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Part Three—The Method Why It Works For the better part of the past 50 years, I have spent my time 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. • •
Can I make this idea work for me? Will this help me improve amateur golfers?
I am the guinea pig for many ideas I come across. I’ve found some ideas that work for me but don’t apply to the amateur golfer. I’ve found some ideas that work for the amateur golfer but not for me. I’m giving this insight into my thinking because when I tell you something I believe in, I want you to know that I have spent many hours practicing, researching, and then communicating it to my students. What I’m about to tell you is one of the ideas I believe in most. 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 roundabout way for me to get you to understand how passionate I am about the putting stroke. But, I have read and studied every conceivable way to swing a putter, and I will go to my grave knowing that the easiest, most consistent, and most accurate way to swing a putter is straight back and straight through. Now I am going to tell you why. You have to stand across from the golf ball for every swing you take. When you stand across from the golf ball on a full swing, the golf club swings back on an arc.
Club Swings Back on Arc 6
It must swing back on an arc 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 on a slight arc. When you address a golf ball with a putter, you are standing much closer to the ball than with a full swing. The putter has to swing back straight because the putter, being much more upright than the other 13 clubs in your bag, is designed to swing straight back.
Putter is the Most Upright
Lastly, it is easier and more simple 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, trying to square the clubface up at impact. I know some golfers have had success without swinging the putter back and forth straight, but I do not believe it is the easiest, most consistent, and most accurate way for golfers to make putts. For us to move forward, I had to give it to you straight (no pun intended). Now let’s move on to the setup.
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Part Four—The Setup Ball Centered or Slightly Forward in Stance The rst thing we want to do when we address a putt is to properly position the golf ball in our stance. Although there are some guidelines you can follow, the optimal ball position is going to vary from player to player. When I am asked where someone should address the golf ball in their stance during a putt, I have to say, “That depends.” I believe ball position is a very individual preference. You have to spend many hours on the practice green deciding where the golf ball should be in your stance. When you practice your putting, you can observe your stroke and position the golf ball in your stance so that it is at the bottom of the putting stroke. Swing the putter back straight away from the golf ball, and swing it straight down in the downswing. The moment the putter head reaches the bottom of the stroke and begins to swing back up is exactly where the golf ball should be positioned in your stance. Some golfers like to have the golf ball in the center of their stance, while others like the ball positioned slightly forward of center. There have been some very successful putters who play the golf ball off of their left heel.
Ball Properly Positioned
Repositioning the golf ball in your stance may x some common putting problems. • •
Pushing or pulling putts Hitting up or down on the golf ball
Ball position and shoulder alignment go hand-in-hand. Shoulder misalignment can lead to missed putts.
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If the golf ball is too far back in your stance, your shoulders may be closed at address.
Ball Too Far Back in Stance
With closed shoulders, the putter swings too much from inside to outside. If the putter swings too much inside to outside, you will push your putts.
Too Much Inside to Outside
On the other hand, if you play the golf ball too far forward in your stance, your shoulders will be open at address. This could result in the putter swinging too much from outside to inside. If the putter swings too much outside to inside, you will pull your putts.
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Too Much Outside to Inside
If you have a tendency to hit up on your putts, you are hitting the ball after the putting stroke bottoms out and starts swinging back up again. To x this, you will want to place the golf ball an inch or two farther back in your stance. If you tend to swing down on your putts, you are hitting the golf ball before the bottom of the putting stroke. You should move the golf ball an inch or two forward in your stance. The position of the golf ball in your stance is vital to keeping it on the putting surface and getting the golf ball to start on a straight line after impact.
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Part Five—The Setup Clubhead and Shaft Now that we have talked about the ball position, let’s discuss how the putter should be positioned at address. There are three key parts of the putter that need to be correctly positioned. • • •
Sole—neither toe nor heel of putter is in the air Grip—center putter grip on body Face—square putter face to target
You have to sole the putter head (the bottom of the putter resting on the ground, neither the toe nor the heel in the air) on the ground as close to the golf ball as possible without touching it. You should be able to see a few blades of grass between the golf ball and the face of the putter.
Putter Soled; Toe and Heel Cannot Be in Air
When you sole the putter on the ground, the grip end of the golf club must point to the center of your body.
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Club Must Point to Center
The putter face must be square at address (putter face aiming toward your target). It doesn’t matter how good your stroke is, you have no chance of making a putt if you do not square the putter face to the target. Keep in mind the average putter has 4 degrees of loft, and that is not enough for you to see. If the grip end of the putter is too far forward at address (more toward your left pant leg), the putter will not have enough loft at impact.
Not Enough Loft at Impact
A lack of loft at impact drives the golf ball into the ground, and the ball will hop along the way toward the cup. Your putt will not roll smoothly. If the grip end of the putter is too far back at address (more toward your right pant leg), the putter will have too much loft at impact. 12
Too Much Loft at Impact
Too much loft at impact will cause the golf ball to briey loft into the air after impact. Again, you will not get that smooth roll you are looking for. Some golfers have a forward press. A forward press is when you move the putter grip slightly toward the target just before you start the stroke. A forward press is ne as long as it is a slight movement of the putter grip toward your target. Do not make the movement too big, and make sure you do not move the grip to the right or left, just straight toward the target. The positioning of the clubhead and shaft comes down to this—if you do not start with proper positioning at address, it does not matter how good of a read, aim, or stroke you have. It all goes out the window if you do not start correctly.
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Part Six—The Setup Your Eyes The third part of a proper putting setup is the positioning of your eyes. After you have positioned the golf ball in your stance and the putter is gripped and soled, you have to position your eyes over the rst blade of grass directly behind the golf ball. This is an absolute—no questions asked, no grey area, no excuses. This is it.
Looking at Blade of Grass Behind Ball
If the golf ball is in the center of your stance or slightly forward and the putter face is square at your target, and your shoulders are aiming parallel to the target line, then your eyes will automatically be directly over that blade of grass behind the golf ball. There is one more item that affects seeing this blade of grass—posture—but that will be explained in greater detail in the next chapter. Why is this blade of grass so important? There is an invisible line that goes from the hole to the middle of your golf ball and then continues on indenitely behind the golf ball. If you are looking down at this blade of grass, it is easier to see this line. If your eyes are looking at the far side of the golf ball, you will have a tendency to pull your putts. If your eyes are looking too far to the inside of the golf ball, you will have a tendency to push your putts. The very reason this great game is so difcult to the masses is simple—we have to stand to the side of the golf ball when we make a swing, including putting. The Rules of Golf states that the player must not make a stroke on the putting green from a stance astride, or with either foot touching, the line of putt or an extension of that line behind the ball. In 1949, golf legend Sam Snead innovated a different style of putting. It became known as the croquet style of putting. Mr. Snead straddled the golf ball’s intended line with both feet. He was facing the target, but he was not standing to the side of the golf ball.
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Croquet-Style Putting
The USGA deemed this method illegal. Sam Snead simply moved both feet to the side of the golf ball, but still faced the target, and nished his career putting side-saddle.
Side-Saddle Putting
Obviously Sam Snead’s style did not allow his eyes to look at the back of the golf ball. This had to be very difcult for him to see the line he wanted the golf ball to travel on. The purpose of the eyes looking at the back of the golf ball is to give you a good chance of seeing the line as straight on and directly as possible. If your eyes are not looking directly behind the golf ball, you will not be able to see the line.
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Part Seven—The Setup Your Posture We have nally reached the last part of the setup—your posture. We have the golf ball positioned, the putter head and the shaft lined up, and your eyes over the rst blade of grass behind the golf ball. There is one problem—if you do not have the correct posture, you will never nd that blade of grass. When you address the golf ball with your driver, your back is straight but you are bent at the hips. When you bend at the hips, this enables you to sole the driver on the ground. When you address the golf ball with a putter, you have to stand closer to the ball and bend over from the hips more than you do with a driver. The correct posture is to bend at the hips until your eyes are on top of your spot behind the golf ball.
Correct Posture
If you stand too tall when you address the golf ball with your putter, your eyes will not be on the invisible line behind the golf ball. Your eyes will be closer to your feet.
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Standing Too Tall
If you bend over too much, your eyes will be on the far side of the golf ball.
Bending Too Much
Your knees also play a role in achieving the correct posture for putting. If your knees are locked, your back will not be able to bend over to the correct address position. Your knees have to be slightly exed, and then you can bend from the hips into the correct position.
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Knees Slightly Flexed, Bend From Hips
Proper putting posture does not accommodate spending hours practicing your putting. As a matter of fact, practicing putting can be painful because you have to bend over the ball. If you are practicing your putting and you have a little pain in your back, your posture is probably correct. The best way to practice putting is to hit some chips or pitches and then go up and putt them in the hole. It can take a few years to build up to being able to practice on the putting green for any length of time. Can you see how it is all starting to come together? The correct posture helps get the eyes over the back of the golf ball. It also allows the arms to hang down from the body, which in turn soles the putter correctly. All of the setup elements—ball position, grip position, eye position, and posture—affect each other. Before we start the putter swinging backwards, we have one more thing to talk about.
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Part Eight—Aiming The Reason You Never Make the Short Ones? I have been helping amateur golfers for over 30 years. In that time, I have seen amateur golfers miss at least one million putts. I have heard every possible reason why they missed a putt: • bad read • hit it too hard • hit it too soft • pulled it • pushed it • toed it • heeled it • looked up • too nervous You name it, I’ve heard it. But not once has anyone asked me if they were aiming the putter where they want the ball to go. Can you believe that? Trying to nd a reason why you missed a well-hit putt can lead to a “What comes rst?” loop. • •
Did you misread the putt but aim correctly on your wrong line? Or did you read the putt well but aim incorrectly?
It is difcult to know if you misread the putt, mishit the putt, or misaimed the putt. When you are struggling, you have to start from ground zero. You have to get a straight edge and head off to a threefoot straight putt. If you can stand and aim the putter straight from three feet, you get to eliminate that mistake. The next thing you want to eliminate is whether or not you mishit the putt. You already know the putt is straight, so you can eliminate the misread. The next thing you have to do is back away to 10 feet and see if you can do the same thing. You are trying to nd out if you struggle with your aim or with your stroke. The best friend you could ever have is a straight edge to help you aim toward your target. Once you setup properly and aim correctly you are on your way. Of course I have to end this with some unfortunate news. You have to stand to the side of the golf ball, and you do not have the convenience to look straight down your target line. Because we stand to the side of the golf ball and our eye sights are all different, you do not necessarily aim where you want the golf ball to go. Standing to the side of a golf ball and aiming it at a target anywhere from 10 feet to 200 yards away can have its illusions. I have personally struggled with ”right-itis” for many years. For some unknown reason I have a tendency to always place the clubface down aiming right of my target. I do it with my full swing as well as my three-footers. Nothing like carrying a straight edge around with you at all times. 19
Part Nine—The Backswing Swing the “Y” When you address the golf ball, the putter head is soled on the ground, the shaft of the putter points toward the center of your body, and you grip the putter with the grip you choose. Because you are bent over at the hips, your arms hang from your upper body, and when they grip the putter, they form the capital letter “Y.”
Gripping the Putter
The backswing of a putt is the shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, putter shaft, and putter head swinging back in one piece. The entire putting swing consists solely of swinging the “Y” back and forth. The right shoulder will tilt up in the backswing if you swing the “Y” correctly. The left shoulder will tilt down.
Swinging Back in One Piece
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During the backswing the putter head has to stay as close to the ground as possible. Of course, if you have a 40-foot uphill putt, the length of the backswing will be much longer than for a 10-foot putt. During the backswing of a 40-foot putt, the putter head will come up higher off the ground than during the backswing of a 10-foot putt.
Backswing for a 40-foot Putt
After you have gripped the putter, both thumbs should point straight down the shaft. The putter face should not roll open during the backswing. If you feel the thumbs roll to the right in the backswing that means the clubface is opening and the “Y” is not intact.
“Y” is Not Intact
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The most common problem golfers have with maintaining the “Y” is that they want to break their wrist in the backswing. It is very difcult to develop a consistent and dependable putting stroke if the wrists become independent of the arms and putter. By maintaining the “Y” in the backswing, you can develop a stroke that will have the same amount of impact every time. The sole purpose of swinging the “Y’ is to make sure you maintain a smooth and repeatable stroke. Wrist movement has no place in the putting stroke. When you swing the “Y” correctly, you can develop a putting touch for all distances. Any wrist movement in the putting stroke will add loft at impact and inconsistency to your distance control.
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Part Ten—The Backswing Straight Back One of the most controversial short game topics in the past 25 years has been whether your putting stroke should arc or be straight back and straight through. We didn’t think much of this question until the video camera came along. The difference between a putter swinging straight back and one that swings back on an arc is a matter of a few inches and difcult to see without video. I have always swung the putter straight back. I have never believed the stroke needed to arc, which causes the clubface to open and close during the swing.
Face Opened in Backswing
The arc is very difcult to time with the face opening and closing. It takes much practice to be able to consistently time the arc properly. There are other parts of my game I would rather practice than timing my putting stroke when there is a simpler method. Don’t get me wrong. I know that if you have a long enough putt, say 45 feet uphill, your putting stroke will travel slightly inside on the backswing in order to get the putter back far enough. Any putt short of that, swing the putter straight back and straight through, without the face opening and closing.
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Straight Back and Through
The easiest putting stroke around is the straight back and straight through. There are many benets to a straight back and straight through putting stroke: • •
It is simple—every stroke hits the ball the same way. It is easy to practice, understand, and conceptualize.
You can practice this putting stroke on a straight edge or baseboard and see how accurate you are. Being able to practice and duplicate the same stroke swing after swing allows you to develop a reliable and repeatable putting stroke. When you are practicing the arc, you do not have a training tool to practice with. The longer the stroke, the more the stroke has to arc. The more arc, the more the clubface has to open, and then return on time, in the backswing. There are just too many moving parts to a putting stroke that arcs. Not to mention breaking putts. On putts breaking away from you, does the face open less? On the same breaking putt, do you not swing inside as much? Simply put, it is not easy to develop a reliable putting stroke if it arcs. If you believe in the arc and you average less than 30 putts per round, stick with it. However, if you struggle with putting, give the straight back and straight through stroke a try for 30 days. I know this will improve your putting results. In addition to the straight back and straight through vs. arc controversy, many golfers have a putting stroke that wiggles, shakes, and does the mamba on the way back. You have to trust me on this one. Forget it. It has very little to do with you not being a great putter. I will tell you a little secret: I have made a whole bunch of putts with a wiggly backswing. I gured something out a long time ago: I can hardly draw a six-inch straight line with a pencil, so how can I expect myself to swing a putter back perfectly straight for two feet. I spend hours putting on a straight edge, and then I have to let it go.
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There is time to practice and time to play. When I step on the rst tee, it is time to play. Don’t misunderstand me. I practice like I play, and I play like I practice. When I tee it up, I have to let the playing take over. I do not try and gure things out on the golf course. Give it up to the golf gods and let them do their thing.
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Part Eleven—The Backswing The Right Shoulder Tilts Up For the past two chapters I have talked about the “Y” and swinging the putter straight back. There is one more aspect of the putting backswing you need to pay attention to. In this chapter, I am going to describe what the right shoulder does during the backswing. If you swing the “Y” back correctly on a straight line, the right shoulder will tilt up slightly.
Right Shoulder Tilts Up
The longer the putt, the more the right shoulder will tilt up. If you have a two- or three-foot putt, you will not have to swing the putter back far enough for the shoulder to tilt. The best visual that I can give you is if you are watching a boat rock from side to side in the water. You have to have the feeling the right shoulder rocks or tilts up in the backswing, and yes, the left shoulder tilts up in the follow-through. We will touch on that in another chapter. On the other hand, if you swing the putter back inside on an arc, the right shoulder will have to turn out of the way and it will not tilt.
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Right Shoulder Turning, Not Tilting
There is another instance where the right shoulder will turn out of the way instead of tilting up. When you address a putt, you must bend over at the hips, otherwise your posture will be too upright. If you are too upright at address, your right shoulder will not be able to tilt up during your backswing—it will have to turn out of the way so you can bring back your putter. Shoulder alignment is another important part of properly addressing a putt. Your shoulders should be parallel to your intended target line. • •
If your shoulders are closed (right shoulder back too far), the right shoulder will turn and not tilt. If your shoulders are open (right shoulder in front of left), the right shoulder will tilt too much and the putter will arrive at impact on a steep angle.
Right Shoulder Tilts Too Much
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Just because the right shoulder is tilting up does not mean the putter head has to come up off of the ground. You can make a smooth swing away from the golf ball and still keep the clubhead close to the putting surface as the right shoulder tilts up. If you nd out the putter head is coming off of the ground too high, focus on keeping the clubhead low, not on the right shoulder tilting up. Always remember: The right shoulder tilting up is a result, not a cause. If you swing the putter back on the correct path, the right shoulder will tilt up. If your putter is the correct length, you have the correct posture, and your shoulders are parallel to your intended line with the correct ball position, you are 99% of the way to a solid putt.
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Part Twelve—The Downswing Straight Down It seems obvious that if you swing straight back you have to swing down straight and, of course, follow-through straight. But, there are some things that can g o wrong in the downswing. • •
The right shoulder turns instead of tilting. The putter swings from inside to outside.
The most common mistake I have seen over the past 30 years is the right shoulder turning in the downswing instead of tilting down. As the putter arrives at the top of the bac kswing, we have this incredible desire to turn the right shoulder back into the golf ball instead of simply letting the “Y” swing back down on the same path it went back up on.
Swinging Down on Same Path
The second most common mistake is to swing the putter from inside to outside. The backswing goes back straight, but at the top, you swing the putter back down inside of the line and follow-through to the outside. This results in pushed putts.
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Follow-Through to Outside
To help correct an errant downswing, there is nothing like a baseboard or a straight edge to help you get back on track. You can also go to a practice green and look for a length of fringe that has been mowed in a straight line. The edge only has to be three or four feet long, just enough so you can practice watching your stroke go back and forth on a straight line. Keep this one thought in mind before we head to the next chapter. Most of the time when you are struggling with your stroke, you have to go all the way back to the basics to correct it. Get back to the fundamentals. There are no shortcuts. If you think your stroke is outside to inside during the downswing, you have to start from the beginning. The cause could be anything from ball position to shoulder alignment to posture. It is much easier to go back to the foundation and start over. If you do not have the luxury of having someone who can pinpoint your mistake, you should start from the beginning. You will nd the cause of your troubles much quicker than with random guesses. The next step in the method, tilting your left shoulder up in the follow-through, is directly related to this step. The left shoulder tilting up in the follow-through can o nly take place if you swing the putter straight back down. These two steps go hand in hand. If the downswing is not on a straight line into the back of the golf ball, the left shoulder will not tilt up in the follow-through.
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Part Thirteen—The Follow-Through The Left Shoulder Tilts Up We are now coming to the end of the putting stroke, but the next two steps are very important. I am going to repeat myself a few times, but I need to drive home key points, and many of the steps of a putting stroke are interrelated. When you started the putter straight back, the right shoulder tilted up and the left shoulder tilted down. As the putter continued straight back, the left shoulder tilted farther down. On a short putt, the left shoulder does not tilt down as much. As the downswing begins, the left shoulder will begin to tilt back up to its original position. As the putter makes contact with the golf ball, the left shoulder is going to tilt higher in the air. At the moment of impact, the left shoulder should be exactly where it was at address. Because the putter is moving, it is difcult to see this. Shortly after impact, the left shoulder tilts up in the followthrough the same way the right shoulder tilted up in the backswing.
Left Shoulder Tilts Up in Follow-Through
By now you should really start getting the idea that when you stroke the putter correctly, the right shoulder tilts up in the backswing and the left shoulder tilts up in the follow-through. In the downswing, if the putter swings outside to inside, the left shoulder will turn to the left instead of tilting up. On the other hand, if the putter swings from inside to outside in the downswing, the left shoulder will tilt up but not on the correct angle. The next time you stand in front of a mirror with a putter in hand, take a look at your shoulders and make sure they are tilting and not turning. The left shoulder tilting up is so important for a proper follow-through. You are going to see how valuable the left shoulder tilting up becomes when I relate it to the position of the clubface during impact and shortly after. 31
Part Fourteen—The Follow-Through Clubface Square and Low to the Ground We have come to the last part of the putting stroke—the follow-through. And, of course, this part is very important. As the clubface swings back to the golf ball in the downswing, it has to be square to the ball. At the very moment of impact the clubface has to remain square, and after impact the clubface has to remain square and low to the ground.
Putter Stays Low to the Ground
If the clubface is not square, it will either be open or closed. Of course, there are two ways the face can be open, and there are two ways the face can be closed. The clubface will be open at impact and right after impact if you do either of the following things: • •
swing the clubface from inside to outside roll the face open in the downswing.
The clubface will be closed at impact and right after impact if you do either of the following things: • •
swing the clubface from outside to inside roll the face closed in the downswing.
What you are trying to do is have the clubface return square at impact. As the follow-through continues, you want to make sure you keep the clubface square and low to the ground. Keeping the clubface square and low in the follow-through ensures two things. • •
You will make contact with the golf ball with the correct amount of loft on the clubface. The golf ball will be started on the line to your intended target.
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There are some practice techniques you can use to assure yourself the putter face is square at impact. When you are on the practice green, you can take a straight edge, such as a golf club, and make a stroke. After the stroke, pause and look at the clubface in relation to the straight edge on the ground. Make sure the clubface is at a right angle to the straight edge. Another way to check if the clubface is square is to make a stroke toward a full-length mirror (without a ball). After the follow-through, pause and look into the mirror to see if the clubface is looking toward the mirror. This is one of the best kept secrets that nobody pays attention to. The importance of returning the clubface square is another reason to implement the straight back and straight through putting stroke. With a swing that arcs, it is too hard to time the downswing so the clubface is square at impact. Swinging straight back and straight through makes it easier to square the clubface at impact because it is square throughout the whole swing.
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Part Fifteen—Reading Grain Bent or Bermuda Being able to properly read a green greatly increases your chances of making a putt. In order to properly read the green, you need to know what kind of grass you are putting on. There are two main types of grass used for putting greens: • •
Bent grass Bermuda grass.
There are a number of differences between the two grasses and the putting surfaces they provide. Bermuda grass greens are found in the southern areas of the United States where the weather is warmer. Bent grass greens are found in the northern areas of the United States where the temperatures are cooler. The main characteristic of bent grass is the ability to mow the greens really short. The shorter you mow the greens, the faster they become. Fast greens are more difcult to pitch, chip, and putt on. When you are playing on fast greens, there is a huge emphasis on the short game. Bent grass greens also roll much truer—the putt usually does what it looks like it will do. On the contrary, Bermuda grass is a thicker blade, and it cannot be mowed as short. Even if you mow it short, the greens are not nearly as fast because the blades are coarser. The main difference between greens planted with bent grass and greens planted with Bermuda grass is that you will potentially nd a grain in greens with Bermuda grass. What is grain? Bent grass grows vertically most of the time. The blades will be pointing toward the sky. Bermuda grass grows along the ground. This creates a grain in the green that follows the direction in which the grass is growing. The individual blades of Bermuda grass tend to grow toward the setting sun, a body of water, or the main draining area of the green. You can keep the grain from dominating the greens, but you have to spend a lot of time and money to do it. The more time and money that is spent on Bermuda greens, the less grain the greens tend to have. Some golf facilities in the south have even attempted to use bent grass on their putting surfaces. Some have been successful; others have failed. Bent grass in the south is very expensive to maintain, and it takes a talented superintendent to keep the grain out of Bermuda grass greens. It is important for you to know two things when you putt on Bermuda grass. • •
Does the green have a grain? How do you take the grain into account when you read your putts?
There are many factors that need to be accounted for when you have to read putts on a green that has grain. If you are playing a course for the rst time, there are questions you need to ask in the golf shop. And no matter how many times you’ve played a course, there are questions you need to answer on each green before you take a putt.
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When you arrive at a golf course for the rst time, ask the following questions. • • •
Do the greens have grain? Does the grain run in one direction? Where does the sun set?
When you arrive at a green, you have to ask yourself three questions. • • •
Where does the sun set? Where is the shiny part of the green? What does the edge of the hole look like?
In relation to the putt you are faced with, knowing where the sun sets will give you a great indication of the direction in which the ball is going to break. Before you start your round, nd a landmark in the direction the sun sets so you don’t get turned around no matter where you are on the course. Differentiating between the shiny and dull areas of the green will also help you properly read your putt. The grain grows away from the shiny part. If you are looking into the dull part of the green, you are looking into the grain. Looking at the edge of the hole is important because the hole is cut in the morning, and when it is cut, the edges are fresh. As the day goes on, the edge of the cup that is worn is the direction the grain is growing. If two of the three observations above are going in the same direction, then there is a good chance the putt is going to break in that direction. When you are putting on true bent grass greens, the ball will almost always break with the slopes. But on Bermuda grass greens the ball might break uphill if the grain is strong enough. Keep these tips in mind: If the grain is growing into you, the putt will be slow. If the grain is growing away from you, the putt will be fast. If the grain is growing to the left, the putt will break left. If the grain is growing to the right, the putt will break right.
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Part Sixteen—Mental Game “Can’t” Never Did a Darn Thing One of my favorite quotes my mom passed on to me is “’Can’t’ never did a darn thing.” Sounds simple enough, but how does it apply to putting? I have never been a fan of the advice “Think positive.” If it was that easy—to just think positively and be successful—we would all be doing it. Positive thinking is a process. Succeeding in life and succeeding in golf both require the same ingredients. Success results from doing a number of things on a regular basis: • • •
dismissing negative thoughts always working hard avoiding negative self-talk
When you talk to successful people, whether they work in business, sports, or construction, you always hear the same feedback. They do not allow negative thoughts into their head. Every one of them is on a journey with no end, or failure, in sight. Successful people also talk about how they work at success every day. Believing in yourself is not a part-time job. Finally, the one thing successful people and successful golfers talk about is the negative self-talk that tries to enter your mind during the day. If you walk when you play golf, there is a lot of time between shots where you have the opportunity to tear yourself up. If a round of golf takes ve hours and it takes less than two seconds to hit a shot and you shoot 100, you have 298 minutes on the golf course to either be nice to yourself or destroy yourself. Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” Remember—“Can’t” never did a darn thing. I do not claim to be a renowned sport physiologist , however, after playing and teaching this wonderful game for the past 50 years, I have spent as much time learning about what works on the golf course as I have on what doesn’t work on the golf course. I want to share a promise with you that I made to myself in 1985. I did not touch a golf club for two years prior to this date. I was playing so badly and had tried unsuccessfully to compete for so long, I just walked away from the game. I actually gave my clubs, bag, shoes, golf balls, umbrella, and gloves to my next door neighbor. One day I went to hit some balls (I had to borrow a club), and before I hit my rst shot I sat on a bench at the practice facility and said to myself, “If I ever try to nd my own personal worth in this game one more time, I will quit forever.” If I ever measured myself against how well or how poorly I performed on a given day, I would never hit another golf shot. 36
I must confess something else. I have shot my share of rounds in the 80s since that day. I have played some horrible rounds, but I have never thought less of myself since that day. And the opposite holds true as well. I have shot some rounds in the low and mid-60s since that day, and I never thought any more of myself when I was nished with the round. Why am I sharing this with you? This promise changed my golf life. I do not have the negative self chatter on the golf course, no more “can’t do it” attitude. Yes, this game of golf is a difcult game to play, both physically and mentally, but is there any place you would rather spend ve hours? I haven’t found it yet.
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Part Seventeen—Reading Putts Easier Than You Think One of the biggest putting obstacles for golfers is properly read ing the green. In my 30 years of being a professional golf teacher, I have seen more amateurs misread their putts than I have seen amateurs mishit their putts. I am going to give you a tip on reading greens that will change the way you putt forever. Ninety-nine percent of all the greens in the world are built low in the front and high in the back. Why are greens built this way? • •
This design provides proper drainage for run-off. A putting surface with this design is better suited to take an approach shot.
The green has to have some angle facing the fairway so the golf ball will have a chance to stop on the green. There is a big difference between how professional golfers and amateur golfers approach their putts. Golf professionals read greens, and amateurs read putts. In other words, professionals take in the big picture, while amateurs focus on the little picture. When a professional golfer begins the walk toward the green after their approach shot, they have all of their antennas up, analyzing all of the conditions. • • •
What is the steepness of the slope leading up to the green? Is there a fall-off near the ball or hole? Does the green have a lot of grass, or is the green sitting in a shaded area with little sunlight for the grass to grow?
All of this analysis is done before they even reach their golf ball. After they mark their golf ball, the heavy analysis begins. Personally, I like to cut the green into four pieces—down the middle, from front to back, and side to side. Every green I have ever walked on is really four greens in one. I do not even think about it anymore. Next, there are three questions that have to be answered. • • •
Is the putt going uphill, downhill, or is it at? Is the putt going to be fast, slow, or normal speed? Is the putt going to break left, break right, or not break at all?
These questions cover every possible movement the putt could make. Dividing the green into quadrants helps to answer these questions. With most greens built low-to-high, if I am looking to the back of the green, I know it is going to be a slow putt. If I am on the right side of the green, there is a good chance the putt is going to break left. If I am on the left side of the green, there is a good chance the putt is going to break right. 38
It’s really not rocket science. Does my theory have a few holes in it? Absolutely, but just a couple. I am well aware that there are double-breakers and two-tiered greens. But, once you break the green into four putting greens and apply the same theory, the holes in my theory disappear. To move your golf game to the next level, you have to learn to accurately read greens. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen amateurs hit a 25-foot putt from the back of the green toward the front of the green and roll it 20 feet past the hole. When I ask, “Did you hit it too hard, or did you not realize you were going straight downhill?” the reply is always the same: “I never even realized I was going downhill.” Just because you don’t notice the slope of a green does not mean it’s not there. It is to the benet of your game to take heed of the contours of the green and adjust your putt accordingly.
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Part Eighteen—Drills Practice Your Touch I could give you 50 different practice drills, but I have decided to give you a few unexpected tips that I know will immediately help improve your putting. Your time on the practice green is best spent on these three exercises: • practice putting from one end of the green to the other • practice putting to the edge of the green • observe others when they practice All of these exercises will help you practice your touch, and improving your touch will vastly improve your putting. The rst two exercises will help you get a feel for distances. The third exercise, taking lessons from a kid, will help you with your touch while letting you have a little fun. I have never seen a 10-year-old practice their stroke. Never. They are always playing games. The games they play usually involve getting the ball into the hole in the fewest strokes. They putt lefthanded, between their legs, and around their cell phone. They are having fun. They don’t even know they are practicing their touch. For 30 years I have said that every child’s putting stroke is ruined the rst time an adult walks up to them and says, “You can’t do it like that. You have to do it like this.” You’ve been in this situation before. You spend 15 minutes on the practice green with a cell phone in one hand, the putter in the other, while holding a conversation with your play ing partner. And you make every putt you look at. Thirty minutes later, you miss a three-footer on the rst hole, three-putt the second hole from ten feet, blow a tap-in at seven, and three-putt four times on the back nine. I really believe that some of those misses come from trying too hard—the combination of not having a routine for every putt and putting so much pressure on every putt you have. Pressure either means you think you should make a certain putt or you think you shouldn’t three-putt a certain putt. Try playing nine holes with the attitude and routine of the practice green and see what happens to your putting condence. Now, when you want to work on something mechanical, work on the clubface returning square if you think it isn’t. Practice some straight two- or three-foot putts, and if you are not rolling them straight into the hole, maybe the clubface is not square at impact. But my best practice advice for you is to work on your touch, not your stroke.
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Part Nineteen—The Name of the Game Distance, not Direction I placed this chapter here for one reason. I wanted it to follow the drill chapter so you would understand that the game of putting is distance, not direction. The death of the amateur golfer’s putting game is their incredible desire to work on their stroke. The total length of a putting stroke is less than three feet. It is not that difcult to try and swing a putter back one or two feet and follow-through one or two feet on a straight line. What is difcult is to show up every day with a touch that assures you of rolling the golf ball up to within one or two feet of the hole. Will there be off days with your touch? Of course. Remember— the greatest players in the world, playing on the best putting surfaces in the world and using the best equipment in the world, only make half of all of their six-foot putts. Please trust me on this one. Work on your touch. I don’t care if you think your putter wiggles, shakes, and does circles on the way back. Work on your touch. I don’t care if you have missed half of your three-foot putts in the past ten rounds. Work on your touch. I don’t care if you have three-putted a quarter of your greens for the past ten rounds. Work on your touch. I don’t care if… You get the picture. Work on your touch.
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Part Twenty—Left Hand Low I Believe This is the Best Putting Grip I could show you the exact practice green and the exact putt I had on that beautiful summer day in Yankton, South Dakota. On the morning of the second round, I walked out to the practice green, dropped three balls four feet from the cup, and never hit the hole. I picked up the three balls, walked across the practice green, dropped them again, re-gripped my putter with my left hand lower than my right hand, and drilled the three putts into the back of the hole. Making those putts that day was not nearly as important as the increase in my comfort level, knowing that I would not have that odd feeling I had had for so many years every time I had a short to mediumlength putt. There are 3 reasons why I believe the putter should be gripped with the left hand lower than the right hand. 1. Having a long left wrist ensures that the putter has the same amount of loft at impact as it had at address. 2. It is much easier to swing the putter straight back with a long left wrist than with the short left wrist you have with a conventional grip. 3. When you grip the putter with a long left wrist, you can feel the back of the left hand move toward the target line in the downswing, and you can use it to make sure the stroke continues past the golf ball. If you are happy with your putting, do not change your grip. I know there is more than one way to do something, so if you are doing great, don’t mess with it. If you are having issues with your putting, give this grip a try.
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Part Twenty-One—Science or Art It’s a Stroke I know you are reading the chapter title and you are trying to gure out where I am going with this one. It is simple. If you dig too deep with this part of the game, it is going to come back to bite you. If you spend hours studying putting, spend $500 on a custom putter, make sure your golf balls are perfectly round, and meditate before every putt, not to mention lining the putt up from six different sides, you are going to miss putts. I promise you. Nobody has ever tried harder on every putt than I have. I go through my routine every time, I clear my head, I give myself every chance to make every putt I hit, and then I let it go. I cannot tell you how many putts I have made with the wrong read or wrong touch. On the other hand, I cannot tell you how many perfect putts I have missed. My father once told me, “It’s all going to come out in the wash.” Putting is an art. It is not a science.
The dictionary denes art as “the products of human creativity.” That is exactly what you, Tiger, and I have to do every single time we walk onto a putting green. We have to have three moving parts working together perfectly to make a putt go where we want it to go: • • •
the correct read the correct amount of speed correct aim.
The ten million dollar question—which one of the three is most important? If you cannot read the putt, how are you going to hit a good putt? If you read it correctly but hit it with the wrong speed, how is it going to go in? And lastly, if you read it correctly and hit it with the correct speed but misaim the putt, would you still hit a poor putt? I do not believe any one is more important than the other two. To me, that is the art form of putting. Your ability to read a 25-foot, hard-breaking left-to-right, downhill putt, make sure the putter is aimed correctly, and hit the ball with the correct amount of speed— for the club championship, of course.
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Part Twenty-Two—Greens Love Them All Long story short. It was 1968 in Lehigh Acres, Florida. I was playing in the state junior championship. I had 40 putts in the rst round, and I went back to my hotel room complaining to my mom about how bad the putting greens were. She was tired of listening to me, so she went for a walk and then came back to the room to tell me that the 83 I shot put me in 20th place. What wasn’t fair was that the other boys wen t down the street and putted on the other golf course’s putting greens. Of course they didn’t, but 15 other boys shot 78 or better, so the putting greens couldn’t have been that bad. Before long, I stopped the whining and starting falling in love with every green I walked on—slow, bumpy, grainy, fast, no grass, too much grass. I have not met a putting green I did not like. My mom and I played a little game for the next few years when I played in junior golf tournaments. Whenever we arrived at a tournament, we would count how many kids we heard complain about the greens. Every time we heard a complaint, we would look at each other and say, “Looks like I am going to beat him this week.” We even wrote their names down. To this day, it is a lesson that I nd can be passed on to anyone. If you play most of your golf on one or two golf courses and you struggle with the greens, nd the club champ or the pro and see if they can give you some insider information that could change everything. Don’t misunderstand me. I have come across some very difcult greens in my day. But I have never missed a putt before I stroked it. I want to give myself a chance every time I hit a putt. Make it a habit and fall in love with every green you putt on.
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Part Twenty-Three—The Picture Track the Ball into the Hole Before You Hit Your Putt Let’s say you have a 20-foot putt that breaks one foot left-to-right. When you stand behind your putt, set your eyes on the golf ball and then track the ball all the way to the hole. If the putt is uphill, try to match the speed of the green along the way you believe the putt will break. Likewise if the putt is downhill. I always envision the putt is going to travel on a roller-coaster track. I do not stop going over the exact track my golf ball is going to travel on until I feel convinced that I have the correct break and the correct speed. As you are envisioning your ball following that roller-coaster track—uphill, downhill, or both—you should also be taking some practice strokes. This will enable you to get a feel for the length of the stroke you will need to make. Looking at the roller-coaster track and making the practice strokes at the same time will help you correctly map out the line your ball needs to take. Once you feel comfortable with the roller-coaster track and speed, commit to the stroke and make the putt. I have no idea how I could ever roll a ball across the putting surface without this way of looking at my putts.
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Part Twenty-Four—Training Aids The Best Ones I Know Of Two of the following putting aides can be found virtually anywhere—pro shops, retail stores, etc. You probably already have a mirror in your home. The rst aid addresses putter path, putter face plane, putter angle, backswing, and forward stroke. The second is a great tool for putting from different makeable lengths and is a great condence builder. The mirror can help identify errors in your putting setup and swing. The Putting Arc
This training aid realizes that the straight back and straight through method won’t maximize your putting effectiveness. The makers of The Putting Arc have used mathematics and physics to calculate the most successful putting plane, putter face angle, and putter path. The Putting Arc will show you how to meet each of those marks. It is portable, regardless of the model you choose. After a little time with The Putting Arc, you will see an improvement in your mechanics, your stroke, and your scores. Accelerator 3 Putting Mat
This portable indoor practice putting green can be used anywhere. The Accelerator 3 has three marked distances—3 feet, 5 feet, and 7 feet. It also shows you how far back to take your backswing and how far you should follow-through in order to make putts from the various distances. Of course, real course conditions will require longer and shorter strokes, but this is a good general guide. Mirror
Another good training aid for putting is the mirror. Putting in front of a mirror will show you all those things that you may not see while on the practice green or in competition. It will help you to incorporate the methods I suggest in this book into your game. There’s arguably no better tool to reinforce a good swing or discover a swing aw than the mirror.
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