The first thing I want to say about putting is that it is a very
personal thing.
When you play you will see many different styles,
grips, stances, swings, and of course types and shapes of putters.
Are any of these styles wrong? NO! None are wrong, and probably
most of them are not right either – for you.
So, much experimenting with different methods of putting is called
for.
Most of this can be done at home on the carpet, or you may
have made your own home, inside putting green whose construction I
have described in a previous article.
When I started playing golf, putting was and still is, but to a
lesser degree, my nemesis.
I just could not hit the ball straight.
Do you have this trouble too?
Maybe with practising and imagination you will hit upon a method
that suits you and makes you a wonderful putter.
While you are practising you will try all types of strokes.
The stiff-wristed arm and shoulder stroke, where you only move your
shoulders in a right and then left rocking motion, keeping the arms
in the same relationship to the chest, their movement being the
result of the rocking motion above.
The wrists are stiff and do not add to the stroke.
Then you may add the wrists to the stroke and make it a wrists and
forearms stroke, with less rocking of the shoulders.
Or lastly, you may make it a wrists only stroke.
I would advocate trying to use both the forearms and wrists in your
stroke because you will be far more relaxed and the stroke will
feel much more natural.
As a result your will find consistency.
In all methods it is essential that you hit the ball with a square
club head.
Have you ever wondered why some players line the brand name on the
ball so that it is pointing directly along the line of the chosen
put?
When I tried it, it made no difference to me. I still missed
as often as before.
Then I learned that there is a second part to aiming the brand name
at the hole. When you put your putter down behind the ball, make
sure that the brand name and club face are at right angles to each
other. This means that your club head is square to the line to the
hole.
Now all you have to do is keep your putter head square on the back
stroke and the hitting stroke, and you will be on line.
One of the important things when developing a putting style is that
you must be able to repeat the stroke consistently.
Probably you will find that the wrist and forearm style will allow this more
than any other method.
The other important thing is to find a putter that suits you and
stick to it.
