Flex elbow to hit up on the ball

To improve roll and clubhead path, flex your lead elbow through impact

IN order to get the putter to launch the ball correctly it is widely accepted that you want some degree of rise angle on the putter head, so the attack angle is slightly up on the ball to get it rolling earlier. James Ridyard of the Bedford Golf Studio in England, says this will help the ball track on the line you have chosen.

You can achieve this by trying to raise your left shoulder more aggressively through impact – but when you do this your head tends to tip backwards on the downstroke, causing inconsistencies. Ridyard reckons he prefers to see players hit “up” on the ball by flexing their left elbow through impact as it has a couple of benefits, both of which have been highlighted here.

1 Hit the ball on the up

The putter head should be rising up from the ground as it strikes the ball to impart the best possible roll.

2 Flexing your elbow allows you to do this

Flexing your left elbow (for a right-hander) allows you to hit up on the ball. It also helps make the path straighter for those who tend to push putts with an excessively into-out club direction because as the elbow flexes, it pulls the grip and clubhead more inwards.

3 Head tips backwards

The fault often seen, especially in highhandicappers, they are trying to hit up on the ball by lifting their left shoulder. This results in their head tipping backwards away from the target through impact, causing problems with inconsistent strikes and distance control.