Is there be some part of getting better at this game that is simple? What’s the easiest way to make an impact on our game? It’s easy to find a hundred different was to hold the putter and many people will tell you that there Is a best way, but if you take a look at all the professional tours, you will see that there are many ways to hold the putter that are making millions of dollars.
This fact lends me to believe that the way you grip the putter is more of a preference than a principal to good putting. So if we’re looking for something solid to improve our game we need to find something that they all do… a principal to better putting.
One of the most common things that good putters do is to get the forearms and the putter shaft on the same plane. This can be seen from a ‘down the line’ view of the player if you visualize a line from the elbows to the putter head. We should see both the shaft and forearms on this line. This creates stability in the stroke.
I’ll next ask you to look at the way you practice your putting, even if it’s just hitting a few putts prior to your round. Most people will grab 2-3 balls and roll 15-20′ putts. Based on PGA Tour averages from that length, you will be Missing far more putts than you will make IF you are as good as a PGA Tour player. If you’re not quite up to their level, you will be missing almost all of these putts. Therefore, you are practicing Missing putts! I love to use a drill called 3,5,7 to practice Making putts.
3,5,7 Drill
1. Start by finding a putt that is straight uphill.
2. Go through your Pre Shot Routine with every putt you hit
3. Using only 1 ball, make three 3 footers in a row
a. Then three 5 footers in a row
b. Finish with three 7 footers in a row.
4. If you miss any one putt you must start over at the 3 foot mark.
Here’s my guarantee…. Even if you don’t try to get your forearms and shaft on plane, if you Follow the 3,5,7 drill to a tee every time you go to the course, you’ll be practicing Making putts and… You WILL become a confident putter!