Lesson #2

Here’s your putting stroke at the start of the lesson. Few things I noticed were how you lined yourself up to the putt. You can see that you are aimed to the right of the cup and you hit a good putt that looked like a bad one just because you weren’t lined up properly. The other thing I noticed was how the heel of the putter head was raised off the ground. Improper lie angle can affect the spin of the ball in a inconsistent manner. We want to make a stroke that will roll the ball in such a way that it rolls forward immediately with a “top spin” feel. Side spin is the enemy.

This is a great device that makes you feel good posture for a sound putting stroke. It makes you pull your shoulder blades back so they maintain connection to the pads on the device. From this position the upper arms will rest more at the sides and this will allow the forearms to be in line with the shaft of the putter. From the front we can see the resistance band is trying to pull your hands and arms in close while you resist and this creates a solid structure that keeps the face square to the path. The forearms being in line with the putter shaft will allow the putter to arc on its intended path. Your original stroke had a much more “straight back, straight through” intention which is not ideal for consistent roll on the ball.

Here you can see the difference in the shaft angle which also soles the bottom of the putter head to the ground rather than the heel being lifted up. Notice the shaft and the arms lining up on the right vs. the left.

This is a good, and fun, drill to use from time to time in order to enhance and practice your visualization aka your “minds eye”. Believe it or not wherever you “think” the ball will go, it will more than likely go there. Now by “think”, I mean visualization. Paint a picture of the target in your mind and hold onto when you look away for as long as you can. The hard part is holding the vividness of the image for a long period of time. But with practice you can get better at focusing and visualizing. Pick a putt between 10-20 feet and make practice strokes while staring at the hole. When you feel ready, meaning you have a clear and vivid image of the target and the space around it, close your eyes and walk towards your target and stick your putter grip into it. Repeat multiple times to possibly discover a pattern.

We can see the arms are in line with the putter shaft and that is allowing them to work more on an arcing path while the shoulder blades control the motor of the stroke. This creates a much more consistent stroke.

Again a quick reminder how important alignment is. I always suggest setting the putter behind the ball before you build your stance and make sure the face is properly aimed where you want the ball to start. Build your stance and set your eyes over, or slightly inside, the ball while making sure the face doesn’t wiggle around. Building your stance after setting the putter head down will allow you stay consistent in your setup. Note the more straight back motion on the left frame vs. the arcing motion of the putter head on the right frame. Good work, keep practicing!

-Tim