Putting drills

Jesse Grewal

The three important fundamentals for putting are a square putter face at impact, an on-centre strike and a de-lofted putter to create top spin. The path of the putting stroke has been discussed in the previous articles. To have a square putter face at impact we must start with a correctly aimed putter. If the putter is incorrectly aimed there would be a compensation required during the stroke where the putter face would have to be closed or opened to achieve a square impact. This compensation cannot be consistent and leads to an erratic stroke.

Tie a string to two knitting needles and suspend it over the line of the putt (picture 1). Place a ball directly under the string and aim the putter so that it is square to the string. This ensures that the putter is aimed correctly. Make a stroke and try to get the ball to roll under the string. If the face is square at impact the ball would begin to roll under the string. If the face is even slightly open or closed the ball would not start straight. The string also helps in creating the correct path. The putter head should move slightly inside on the backswing, come back under the string at impact and move inwards again on the follow through.

To ensure an on-centre strike place two tee’s on either side of the putter head (picture 2). Place a ball between the tees and make sure that you do not hit either tee while making the stroke. This trains the stroke to create an impact in the centre, which is directly influenced by the path of the putter and also a stroke dominated by the small muscles of the hands. A stroke with a slight arc and with the shoulders and arms help in creating an on-centre strike.

Top spin gets the ball rolling and maintaining both speed and line in putting. Top spin is achieved when the putter is de-lofted at impact and the ball is hit on the upward arc of the putting stroke. The upward arc is achieved by the ball placement, which is forward of centre. Take a tee and place it in the hole in the butt of the putters grip (picture 3). The tee is closer to the lead arm at address and either maintains this distance or moves closer to the lead arm through the stroke (pictures 4 & 5). A common fault is when the tee moves backwards through impact. This adds loft to the putter face, which in turn creates backspin resulting in putts ending up short of the hole.

(Grewal has coached several national champions and professionals apart from being coach of the Indian golf team for the Eisenhower Cup (World Cup) in 2008. He is currently the Director of National Golf Academy of India and CGA Hero Honda Golf Academy. If you have any queries get in touch with him at parexcellence@tribunemail.com)