Almost Everything I Know about Making Putts

[iacas]

Someone on the forum asked me for some drills, but instead I wrote this up:

http://thesandtrap.com/playing_tips/...t_making_putts

Have a look and give it a read. I'd prefer it if you would post comments at the bottom of that article, but feel free to duplicate your comments in this thread too.

[Dent]

Just a quick question Iacas, When you line up about to make your putt, do you put the putter against the ball, put your feet together and then seperate your feet to get your stance to insure your aiming properly? Like when i aim and know where to hit when im crouched down, then when i line up my putter i almost instantly lose my aiming point, and usually miss the hole. How do you keep your line and make sure you dont lose it when your getting ready to putt? I hope this kind of makes sense, but im sure it doesnt.

[iacas]

Just a quick question Iacas, When you line up about to make your putt, do you put the putter against the ball, put your feet together and then seperate your feet to get your stance to insure your aiming properly? Like when i aim and know where to hit when im crouched down, then when i line up my putter i almost instantly lose my aiming point, and usually miss the hole. How do you keep your line and make sure you dont lose it when your getting ready to putt? I hope this kind of makes sense, but im sure it doesnt.

I stand beside the ball and my feet are approximately aimed. I make my pendulum "feel" strokes looking at the hole or target.

I set the putter down behind the ball, line it up to the AIM line, and then nudge my feet the four inches closer or whatever it is that they need to move. Thus, they line up relative to my putter face. Doing that in the opposite order is a good way to invite inconsistency, I believe.

I don't ever put my feet "together." They're approximately the right distance apart every time I swing the putter - whether it's my pendulum "feel" strokes or my actual putting stroke.

As for the latter part of your question... did you see this part of the article?

I set the ball down and line up the A.I.M. line precisely on the line of my putt. I'm pretty quick about this, so it's not as though I'm crouching down for ten minutes getting the line just right. On large breaking putts, I also pick a substitute target - a patch of discolored grass, an old hole location, or something - for gauging the speed later on.

I use the line on my ball (Titleist kindly provides it as of this year), then line my putter up to that line. I'm not looking at a spot on the green for aim. Once I line up my ball, I forget about line entirely.

[Dent]

Okay thanks, i am just having troubles aiming lately and i kind of wanted to know how other people do that. I think im having troubles because i just walked up to the ball and take a "guess" on where to aim.

[Spectrums]

Great article Eric, I'll make sure to try some of these tomorrow.

[mcecki]

Thanks a lot Erik! I'm definitely going to use that tee drill when practicing putts.