{"id":2122,"date":"2007-07-31T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2007-07-31T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesandtrap.com\/extras\/playing_tips\/almost_everything_i_know_about_making_putts"},"modified":"2007-08-18T08:00:55","modified_gmt":"2007-08-18T12:00:55","slug":"almost_everything_i_know_about_making_putts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesandtrap.com\/b\/playing_tips\/almost_everything_i_know_about_making_putts","title":{"rendered":"Almost Everything I Know About Making Putts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Putting\"A member of our forum<\/a>, after noticing that my putting stats are pretty good, asked me what tips I could offer to help others become a better putter. After thinking about it, I realized that being a “good putter” is more about the sum of the parts than any individual part. So, I wrote back to the forum member and said “I’ll write something up in the future and post it for all to see.”<\/p>\n

This is the answer to that question. I can’t promise that this will help everyone become a great putter – though I believe great putters are made, not born – because this process is mine. Still, a piece or two can likely be adapted to fit anyone, and I encourage comments from others about the different things they do to make themselves good putters.
\n<\/p>\n

Setup and Fundamentals<\/h3>\n

Putting strokes and stances are as unique as the individuals who use them. Though I believe beginners should get an idea of what a proper putting grip is, I also believe that experimentation can lead to better putting once a player is capable of making a repeating stroke.<\/p>\n

In truth, I believe in only a few putting fundamentals. One is that you must hit the ball squarely, with the putter traveling in the instant of contact perpendicular to the putter’s face. Slicing across the ball from the inside or outside is a no-no.<\/p>\n

I believe that you must be balanced, and that you should use whatever stance you like so long as it puts your body in a balanced position capable of repeating a stroke. If your arms are too far from your body or your weight is back over your heels, you won’t stroke the putter consistently.<\/p>\n

I believe that a putting stroke without any wrist hinging is more repeatable than one that involves flipping or cupping of the wrist, but that’s just me: I’ve seen plenty of successful putters who incorporate a little bit of wrist hinge almost as if they’re using the fine-adjustment dial on a microscope.<\/p>\n

The many number of grips seen in use on the PGA Tour tell me that you can putt well with any grip. Heck, I use an interlocking grip – the same grip I use with my woods and irons. It’s the grip I’ve always used to putt and it’s comfortable to me. I keep the putter grip very much in my fingers to maximize my sense of feel and touch.<\/p>\n

My own personal fundamentals are:<\/p>\n