My top 10 tips to help you hole more putts.
still think arm-lock putting is like cheating. Yes, I tried it in competition (resting the shaft against my left forearm) before going back to my old grip at the Olympics in Tokyo. I might even try it again, but this story is not about how you hold the putter. It’s about the simple things anyone can do to really increase the chance of holing out. My putting coach, Derek Uyeda, and I compiled these 10 tips to help you when you practise and play. Give them a shot. – with Ron Kaspriske
Schauffele, the gold-medal winner at the Olympics, ranked sixth in total putting on the PGA Tour for 2020-2021.
1. If you only read putts from right behind the ball, you might not be in the best position to see the break. Farther back often reveals more detail about the putt.
2. A good way to start to get the read is to ask yourself, If I hit this putt right at the hole, where would it end up?That distance from the hole is the amount of break you need to play on the opposite side.
3. Whether your stroke arcs, cuts across the ball, or is fairly straight back and through, what matters most is that the putterface is square to your line at impact.
4. I putt left-hand low, so it looks like my shoulders are a hair closed in relation to my putting line, but they’re really parallel with it. Squaring up is something to keep checking. Calibrate for consistency.
5. You might have been told to set your eyes directly over the ball at address, but I see the line better with my eyes over a spot nearly an inch inside it. If you’re missing short ones, give it a try.
6. Feel like you move the putter with your midsection, not your shoulders or your hands. It makes your stroke a lot easier to repeat.
7. Hit up on the ball ever so slightly to get the best roll.
8. No matter the putt, one constant in my through-stroke is acceleration – it’s light. There’s no big collison with the ball.
9. Your practice stroke is almost always better than your real stroke. The lesson? Make your real stroke like the ball isn’t there.
10. Your last look? Don’t just picture the ball going in before you putt – picture where it goes in and at what speed. Now you’re ready to pull the trigger.
