Break 100/90/80
If you are a golfer who is looking to shoot regularly in the 90s, the first thing to take care of on the greens is those short putts, from 3-5ft. You’re not going to hole all of them, but if you can make missing more of an exception than a rule you can quickly trim a handful of crucial shots off your 18-hole score. To improve your holing out, I want you to focus on your lead hand. Whether it goes above or below the trail hand, it performs a key role in controlling the face. Here’s what to do...
Make the connection
Putting becomes a lot easier when you align the back of your lead hand with the putterface as you take your grip. When you do this, you form a strong and efficient connection between your hands and the blade; from here, a natural swing forward holds the face square. So set the putter with the blade looking at the hole. Add your lead hand so its back looks down the same line, thumb on top of the grip (1).
One line
Now focus on the angle between the putter’s shaft and your lead forearm. Ideally there won’t be one; if you can get the shaft and forearm to form one continuous line (2), you will put the lead wrist in a relatively immobile position, one that limits wrist action and helps you hold the putterface square.
DRILL ONE-HANDED PUTTING STROKE
To work on your short putting – and to build up trust in the relationship between your lead hand and the putterface – hit a series of shorties with your lead hand only.
Address Set up the stroke
Play the ball forward of centre in your stance, just inside
the lead instep (3). Grip the putter with your lead hand as we have just discussed, the back of the hand square to the blade and looking at the hole; put your trail hand in your pocket. If you have a watch, put it on your lead wrist; aiming its face at the hole can help create a feeling of aligned squareness. Keep your grip pressure light.
Stroke Face/hand to hole
Now strike the putt with one intention; to keep the putterface and the back of the lead hand looking at the hole right through to the end of the stroke (4). In longer putts there will be some natural rotation and closing of the two, but at this length, with this short stroke, you can feel the two remaining square post-impact.
Ingrain the feel
Hit a series of putts like this. At first it will feel strange, but after several efforts you will start to feel the connection between the lead hand and the putterface, and how they work best as one aligned force. Keep going until you hole 10 in a row. Then add the trail hand – palm facing the hole – but allow the lead hand to retain its control over the face.