Putting generally makes up 40% of your overall scorecard and can make or break your game and overall score. Neglecting this aspect of your game can be a terrible mistake. Every golfer should practice to come up with a repetitive stroke that helps him sink more putts and save 5-6 shots per round.
1. Forming the putter grip
The steps below will help you in developing the right grip for putting.
- Place your hands on either side of the putter grip, with your palms facing, and each hand square to the target line.
- Place your left hand on the club, with your thumb pointing straight down the middle of the grip keeping your forefinger off the grip for the moment.
- Place your right hand on the club, again with your thumb pointing straight down the grip. Wrap your fingers of the right hand around the grip, and put your left forefinger over them.
- Finally, extend the forefinger of your right hand down the side of the grip, to enhance the control. Hold the club a little softer as opposed to the regular swing.
2. Correct Posture
Good posture is very important to the success of the putting stroke. Ideally you should adopt a posture at address that lets your arms hang down freely with out any tension. The following steps should help you perform a natural posture.
- Stand up straight resting against your left leg.
- Flex your knees a little and bend from the hips so that your arms hang limp from the shoulders.
- Form your putting grip as described above.
- Check the key elements of your posture. There should be a slight bend in your arms, with your elbows pointing in towards your ribcage. Think of your arms and shoulder as a triangle. You should feel relaxed and comfortable over the ball with your weight evenly balanced. You are now ready to putt.
Don’t worry about the break in the green and it's possible effect on the path of the ball. The putter is designed so that you can hit the ball only straight and there is no point in trying to turn the ball using the putter or the stroke. Therefore, after selecting your target and aligning to it, your job is simply to concentrate on bringing the putter straight back and straight through the ball toward your target.
As the putter will only hit the ball in one direction, following the above steps will ensure that you hit the ball straight toward your target and be more successful.