PERFECT YOUR PUTTING POSTURE & SET-UP

Your head and hand position are vital for consistency

The quality of your putting is to a large degree determined by the quality of your basics. You’ll notice I haven’t talked too much about the stroke. That’s because if your posture, alignment and eyeline are good, the stroke itself is pretty simple – it’s just about good rhythm and keeping your head steady so you can strike putts consistently. Here’s what I focus on at address to achieve that.

Keep it simple over the ball “One of the things that makes me such a consistently good putter is that my set-up is very simple. I stand to the ball in a standard position with my feet, knees, hips and shoulders parallel to my target line.”

Keep the shaft vertical “I like to have my hands in a neutral position so they aren’t pushed too far forward ahead of the ball or positioned way behind it. This puts the shaft in a vertical position at address. Because of this, I use less loft than most players. Where most players will have 3° or 3.5° loft on their putter, I have only 2° to 2.5°. It’s important that the set-up and loft of your putter match your address position and stroke.”

Get a pure roll “The last thing you want is the ball to skid too much off the putter face. This is crucial on quick greens. It’s difficult to accurately judge distance if your ball starts off with a hop. For a truer roll, I play the ball slightly forward of centre in my stance. This helps me hit up on the ball a little.”

Focus on your grip pressure “I hold the putter with enough strength to prevent it moving once I’ve taken my grip. Even minimal movement can cause the putter to twist in your hands at address or during the stroke. If this happens, it’ll affect your aim and either add to or decrease the loft on the putter face. At the same time, I don’t want to hold it so tightly that it creates tension in the rest of my arms and body.”