Intro:
Before you begin
Step 1:
Choose it
Step 2:
Grip it
Step 3:
Line up the hole
Step 4:
Adjust your stance
Step 5:
Practice your swing
Step 6:
Putt it short
Step 7:
Putt it long
Step 8:
Read the green--more advanced putting techniques

2torial #0814:
Learn2 Sink a Putt

It's in the hole!

Putting, it is said, is half the game in golf. In some amusement parks, putting on miniature greens is actually the whole game. Simple enough, you say, until you try getting that little white ball into the hole from a distance of more than, say, 6 inches. Then you discover all the frustration, heartbreak, ridicule, angst--in short, you have been initiated into the joys of playing one of the most relaxing and delicate of sports. This 2torial lines up the basics of putting to help you for the one time you'd rather sink than swim.

Choose it

There are probably as many different types of putters as there are golfers in the world. When choosing a putter for yourself, ask the advice of a local golf pro. You'll want one that feels comfortable in your hands, is long enough to reach the ground without undue stooping, and which you can swing smoothly and evenly.

• Putters have three parts: the head, the shaft and the grip. Choose a putter with a smooth, perfectly flat striking surface on the head. Quite often there is a line or notch inscribed on the top edge of the putting head. This mark indicates the optimal spot on the striking surface with which to hit the ball.
• Hold the putter with the bottom of the head lying flat upon the ground--not angled either toward or away from you. Grip the club using the method described below in Step 2. The club should feel comfortable and lively; it shouldn't make your hands cramp.
• If you're stuck with a putter that is either too short or too long for you, make the most of it by adjusting your stance. Keep your back, shoulders and arms exactly normal: loose, flexible, and slightly bending. Hold the putter with your normal grip and notice where the bottom rests in relation to the ground. If the putter hovers above the ground, it's too short for you. Bend your knees until the bottom of the putter rests lightly upon the ground. If the putter is too long, then choke up on it by moving your hands further down along the grip until you're standing comfortably and the bottom of the putter rests lightly on the ground. Use follow through: after releasing the ball, point your fingers at the basket.

Grip it

The goal of putting is to strike a ball so that it arrives at, or near, the hole. This kind of precise steering mechanism requires a careful grip which will prevent any shifting of the putter head. Any such shift will result in highly erratic putts.

• Hold the putter about 1 1/2 feet (1/2 m) in front of you with the head pointing away from you. Rest the the head on the ground, and then bring the grip towards your body until the bottom of the head is flat on the ground. The face of the putter faces the direction in which you'll hit the ball--usually on the nondominant side of your body. For example, if you're right-handed, the putter should face to the left.
• Now, on to your hands. Your nondominant hand (not the one you write with) should be on the same side as the face of the putter. This puts the back of your nondominant hand facing the cup.
• Keeping your back straight, bend at your waist and knees, and let your arms dangle freely until your hands are at the same height as the grip. Grasp the front side of the grip (the side that faces the cup) with your non-dominant hand, thumb pointing down. Let your fingers curl around the back of the grip. Place your thumb on top of the grip and parallel with the shaft. Usually there's a line marked with an arrow running down the grip. Place your thumb on top of and parallel to the arrow.
• Hold your other hand, your dominant hand, palm up. Grasp the back of the grip (the part that's facing away from the cup) with your dominant hand. Place the little finger of your power hand between the index and middle fingers of the non-dominant hand. Place the thumb of your dominant hand on top of the grip, aligned with the shaft, and parallel to your other thumb.
• Hold the club securely and naturally--don't choke it in a death grip. Many clubs have molded grips to fit the contours of your hands. Shift your grip slightly until your hands feel as comfortable as possible. Give the club a little wiggle, left and right, to determine that your grip is firm, secure, and just tight enough to hold on without slipping.

Line up the hole

Taking careful aim is obviously crucial to sinking putts. If you don't look where the ball is headed, it doesn't matter how nice your swing is! Focusing carefully on the line of the putt, and visualizing the path of the ball as it travels to the hole, is a powerful tool in your putt-development arsenal. For more advances line-reading skills, see Step 8 below.

• Set the ball down about three feet (one m) from the cup. Stand behind the ball so that it's between you and the cup. Draw an invisible line with your eye straight from the ball to the cup. (If you like, squat on your heels with your knees bent to see the line more clearly.) This is the path you want the ball to travel. This visual image will keep your putt on target.
• Another line-up technique: Hold up the putter in your fingertips and let it hang freely to make a rhumb-line (straight up-and-down marker). Standing behind the ball, close one eye and move the putter around until you see the ball and cup exactly matched up with the rhumb-line. Then draw an invisible line along the ground from the ball to the cup.

Adjust your stance

Golf is a sideways sport. Your swing and hence the path of the ball will be from one side of your body to the other--in short, sideways. The rule of golf that requires players to play the ball "as it lies", makes stance adjustment a little more challenging. You'll need to adjust your stance according to where the ball and cup are.

• Stand sideways next to the ball so that the back of your steering hand points toward the hole.
• Holding the putter in your best grip (see Step 2 above), place the face of the putter about one inch (3 cm) behind the ball. Adjust your stance so that the putter rests flat on the ground and the face of the putter is exactly square to the path of the ball.
• Look at the cup again and follow the invisible line back through the ball. Your toes line up perpendicular with the path of the ball, or you can let your front foot may open out as is natural for you. The ball should line up just behind the heel of your front foot.
• Your head should be directly above the ball. Move your whole torso until your eye is exactly above the ball. Keep your head there--it's crucial for good putting.
• Adjust your knees and hips until your body is lined up with the ball as comfortably as possible. Seem impossible? Then close your eyes for a second. Take a deep breath, exhale, and relax. You want your shoulders to move freely during the swing.

Practice your swing

Putting is a single, smooth pendulum motion originating fro the center of your upper back--only your shoulders move. By stepping away from the ball, maybe six inches (15 cm) or so backwards, you'll be able to try a few practice swings before actually committing yourself to the ball.

• Think of your spine, neck and head as one long axis. These do not move throughout the swing. Your shoulders rotate along this axis from one side to the other.
• Keeping your wrists and arms firm, hanging down naturally, move the putter back (away from the cup) by pivoting your shoulders on the spine/neck/head axis. Your arms and hence the club move exactly together with your shoulders. Hold this pose for a moments.
• Now unwind your body just like a pendulum swinging from a clock. The club, your arms, your shoulders, all swing smoothly at once, rotating evenly along the axis formed by your spine, neck and head. The golf club stays in the same plane.
• Continue your swing as far out in front of the ball as you pulled back. This completes the pendulum arc. Called the follow-through, this continuation helps keep your putt on line, ensures smooth contact between the ball and the putter, and gives the ball the full measure of the stroke.

Putt it short

Now you're ready for the real thing. It's a good idea when practicing to start off with a few short putts. Short putts put your mind at ease without all the worry about distance, lay, and speed. A few successful short putts also instill confidence that you're in the right game, and you relax even more.

• Stand about a yard (1 m) behind the ball and draw an imaginary line from the ball to the cup.
• Step up to the ball so that your putter sits lightly on the ground, flat and about one inch (3 cm) behind the ball. Look at the imaginary line connecting the ball to the cup. Check the alignment of your stance --making sure you're also standing perpendicular to the line of the putt. Take in a deep breath, and exhale deeply. Move your body back and forth to release any excess tension. You want to swing evenly through the ball, and you want the path of the ball to trace the line you visualized along the green and into the cup.
• Draw the putter back with your shoulders (not your hands or your wrists) about ten inches (25 cm) behind the ball, remembering to keep your head over the ball and still. Look directly at the ball but try to visualize the cup with the peripheral vision.
• Unwind like a pendulum. Exhale at the top of your backswing, swing smoothly through the ball, and follow through with your swing. Keep your eyes on the ball (or where it was before you putted it) continously throughout the swing. Visualize the ball rolling into the cup while you swing.

Putt it long

Now you're ready for a few long putts. Remember the second goal of the long putt is to put the ball at least three feet (one meter) from the hole. Details such as exact distance, lay of the slope, and speed of the green are important and can have a profound influence on the putt.

• Try a long putt from 15 feet (5 m) away, a little longer if you're feeling confident. Take careful note of the length of your swing. (Length of swing is the distance between the putter face and and the ball at the end of your backswing.) Where did the ball end up? Put another ball in the same place again. Shorten or lengthen your swing to compensate for the inaccuracy of your previous swing. For example, if the ball rolled twice as far as the distance to the cup, next time draw the putter back only half as far as the first time. Keep trying.
• Look at the lay of the putting green. Which way does the slope travel? You may be putting uphill or downhill, or both, so practice several times from the same spot, adjusting the strength of your accordingly. Get a feel for how much swing you need to have the ball stop within three feet (one meter) of the hole. The strategy is to leave the ball close to the hole--even if you don't get it in, you'll have a short and easy second putt.

Read the green--more advanced putting techniques

Greens are built with all sorts of undulations--hills and valleys that challenge your putting skills. And don't forget--they're made with grass, which changes according to seasonal and daily weather patterns. Expecially with longer putts, these are factors you'll have to consider if you want to improve your putting.

• A slope on the green that travels either left or right will generally cause the ball to curve off in the same direction. This is called a break. Generally, speaking, the softer you hit the ball, the greater the breaking influence. Try to anticipate how much the ball will break its line to the cup, and whether it will break to the left or to the right. Adjust the angle of your stance to compensate so that the slope of the green will actually help guide the ball into the cup. For instance, if the green breaks 15 degrees to the left, and aim for a spot about 15 degrees to the right of the cup. After you putt, the ball should then curve to the left just in time to drop into the cup. (You can also measure the break in terms of inches. Putt the ball straight at the cup, as if no break were present. Let's say the balls stops about 8 inches (20 cm) to the left of the cup. With your next practice ball, aim for a spot 8 inches (20 cm) to the right of the cup, and stroke away.)
• The quality of the surface of greens varies considerably. Short, dry, smooth, and evenly mowed grass will make the ball travel faster than average. This is referred to as a fast green. Grass that's long, rough, or uneven produces a slow green. Pay attention to how your ball rolls each time you putt, and adjust the length of your swing based on these observations.
• Do remember there are any number of variations on the putting green. Some of them will be virtually impossible to see. This factor lets you off the hook if you putt was way off the mark. Don't sweat it! You'll have plenty of other opportunities to practice.
• Give yourself plenty of time to practice, and learn from your mistakes. Stay loose, remember to breathe deeply and evenly, and concentrate only on the putt you're making at this moment. Gradually you'll develop a feel for putting which only comes from repetiton and concentration. Enjoy deeply that very satisfying clunk when the ball drops in the cup.

-end-

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