Common Putting Mistakes
No Distance Control When Putting
Most of the time lack of distance control is due to the breaking down of the wrists while putting.
The wrists must remain firm through the stroke in order for the shoulders to make the stroke. By allowing the shoulders to rock back and forth you create a pendulum motion with the putter.The distance can be controlled by how far back and through that you swing the putter. Once the wrists get involved though it adds another element and the distance is much harder to control.
Lack of Putting Practice
Lack of practice could also be a cause of poor putting.
If you were to stand 20 feet from the hole with 3 balls, and throw them towards a hole on the putting green the second time you throw the a ball it will be closer to the hole than the first time. This is because of what you learned from the first throw. The third time you throw the ball should be even closer again for the same reason. This is called “developing touch”. The more you develop your touch with a putter the better your distance control will get.
Reading the Green Incorrectly
Misunderstanding if you are hitting uphill or downhill could also be a cause of poor putting.
Make sure you take note of the fall when you are reading the green. A lot of golfers will get so caught up in whether the putt is breaking right of left that they forget to find out if they are going uphill or downhill.
Missing Short Putts
The main reason golfers miss their short putts is that their eyes are not over the ball. The first thing you should check out when you start missing easy 3 footers is this fundamental.
Set-up over a putt and then drop a ball from the bridge of your nose. The ball should fall right on top of the ball you are about to putt. This is the way you shoudl set up for every putt.
Head Movement During the Putt
The head must remain perfectly still throughout the entire putt and even for a few seconds after.
My grandfather used to always tell me to spit in the place where the ball was after I putt. This might not be the best way for you to make friends at your golf course, so you don’t have to actually spit, but I think that might give you the right idea of how long your head must remain still.
Poor Alignment
Another aspect of the fundamentals to check is your alignment. Poor alignment will obviously cause you to miss the putt left or right of the hole. Have a friend stand behind you to check your alignment, or ask your local pro for a putting lesson.
Filed under: Golf Putting Tips