Putting!The most frustrating yet one of the most important parts of the

game

Preparation: Green ReadingWe have already gone into detail about the putting surfaces themselves, but once all

of that is understood, what should be your goals in reading greens? ● The first thing you should always do is determine your desired outcome for the putt

(no, it should not be for the ball to go in!). This is where some of the psychology of putting comes in (we will get into much greater detail of this later). You should always make the desired outcome of your putt to be a product of deliberate green reading, disciplined pre-putt routine, and ,finally, a trust in a consistent stroke.

● Next, you should have already noticed the general topography/slopes of the green from walking up to it (30-50 yds out, remember?). Once you get to the green, you mark your ball and walk around the green to get your bearings (if you are the first one to play then you need to be aware of this so that you aren’t becoming the cause of slow play). Then go through your routine for reading the putt… Where are the high/low areas? What kind of grain are you seeing, if any? What do your feet tell you as you walk around the putt and the hole? When you crouch down behind the ball and the hole, what do you see?

● Once you have made your observations about the green then you go into...

Preparation: Pre-Putt RoutineThe pre-putt routine is going to be different for everybody! You need to figure out

what works best for you. However, even though your pre-putt routine will be unique, there are some things that you will need to do to give yourself the best chance of making a good putt (notice how I didn’t say best chance of making the putt).

● Mark your ball: Hopefully, this one is obvious.● Green reading routine: We have covered this extensively already.● The unique stuff:

o Do you take practice strokes behind the ball or to the side of it? Are you facing the hole when making your practice strokes? How many practice strokes do you take? What is the tempo of your practice strokes? What is the purpose of how you make practice strokes? Before you step into the ball, do you deeply exhale? Do you pick out a spot to aim at? Do you visualize the ball going into the hole? Do you do anything in particular before you make the actual stroke? Guys, I have seen it all, but the one thing that great putters do is that they do their routine consistently, without fail, every single time!!!

**Therefore, the most important aspect of any pre-putt or pre-shot routine is CONSISTENCY!!!

Distance and Direction● The first thing that needs to be said about distance and direction in putting is that

you should already know where and how hard you are going to stroke a putt before you step into the ball!

● Distanceo There are many factors to take into consideration when determining how

much speed or distance that you have to put into a putt (we covered many of these in the green reading stuff). However, there are a couple of things that you can do to become more consistent with your distance control.

Deliberate practice strokes: Don’t just swing the putter back and forth without any intent. Always make your practice strokes an example of how you want your “real” stroke to be. Imagine that each practice stroke is an opportunity for you to figure out how much pace you have to put into the actual putt.

Visualization after outside factors have been factored into the equation: The best putters in the world are meticulous about their pre-putt routines. They read the greens with great detail and always stick to the same routine before they make a putt. Then, before they step into the putt, there is usually a moment of “visualization” where they imagine what it would feel like and look like to watch the ball go along the intended line and go into the hole. They do not however, expect the ball to go in (another teaser for the psychology part).

Distance and Direction● Direction

o This one can be tricky because there are many ways of going about getting the ball to roll on the intended line.

Pick a spot: Find a spot around 6 inches in front of the ball and try to putt the ball over that spot. This can be fine, but say your ball is resting on a severe slope? It might break offline before it gets to your spot. I do like this method though because it takes the focus off of the hole.

Line on golf ball: This is one of the most popular methods of controlling the direction of your putt. I understand the merits of using the line (starting direction, checking on how you roll the ball, feedback for if you miss the putt, etc), but I used this extensively for a while and I found a few things…

● If you are not diligent about practicing rolling the line perfectly every single time then you will have issues.

● If you play on poorly kept putting surfaces it will be almost impossible to roll the line perfectly; this can even happen on really “grainy” greens.

● If you end up focusing on just rolling the line then you can lose focus of speed (this happened to me all the time).

● This may seem strange, but the majority of people who use the line on a golf ball to line up putts actually aim the line incorrectly to their intended putting line.

o The reason for this is because a golf ball is curved. Therefore, especially if the line on your ball is long, when you sit behind the ball and try to aim it the curve of the line due to the ball’s shape can actually throw you off.

● However, with practice, and if you stick to the line principle no matter what, it can be an effective way of improving your putting.

Distance and Direction● Direction

Putt at the apex of the curve: This is not bad especially for really long putts because it keeps things simple, but I’ve found that you can end up trying to guide the ball too much. If you do this then you need to be deliberate about your setup and aim so that you don’t encourage inconsistencies in your stroke.

Imagine the hole as a clock and “feel it out” or visualize the line the ball takes when it goes into the hole and then stroke it: This is pretty convoluted and ultimately more about feel than anything. I know coaches who exclusively teach putting this way because they believe in our ability to “subconsciously” put the ball on the correct line for the break. I do buy into some of this in that I believe we should trust our instincts and stick with them, but I do not think we should just go and “feel it out.” Just free-wheeling it may seem fine, but ultimately it’s just lazy and you will end up getting frustrated when you start missing a lot of putts and don’t know why.

Again, most of what you do will have to be what is right for what kind of player you are. We will be working together to figure this out. Once we find what you should be doing though, you have to stick with it through thick and thin!

The StrokeThere are a lot of misconceptions out there about the putting stroke. Some people

staunchly advocate a straight-back-straight-through approach whereas others emphasize an arc approach. Some people say you should have a certain grip, stance, etc. There are many methods in which to utilize any number of strokes, but I have come to realize that there are a few things that you MUST take into consideration to have a “good putting stroke.”

● Consistency: Your stroke, without fail, has to be consistent. You cannot guide the ball to the hole or to your intended line with the putter head. Trying to guide or “manipulate” the putter during the stroke will lead to inconsistencies and inconsistencies will lead to consistently bad putting.

● Trust: This is part of the psychological approach as well, but you have to always trust in your stroke. No matter what it looks like, feels like, or how it performs on that day you have to trust that you put in the work to have a stroke that performs consistently!

● Eye dominance or “how you see straight”: We are going to do a test to find out exactly how you see straight...

The Stroke: Seeing Straight● Now, what exactly does it mean when I say, “how you see straight?” Well, basically, we all see

objects, whether directly in front of us or to the side of us, in different ways. Take the eye dominance test for example…

1. Everyone put your arms and hands in front of you and make a triangle with your hands like in the picture. 2. Now, find an object that can fit inside your hand triangle (like the doorknob in the picture).3. Once you do this, close your left eye so that you are only looking with your right eye. Notice a difference? No?4. Then, switch and close your right eye so that you are only looking with your left eye. Now do you notice a difference?5. After steps 3 and 4 you should have realized that when one of your eyes was closed, the object in the center of your triangle moved!6. If it moved when your left eye was open and right eye closed then you are right eye dominant. If it moved when you right eye was open and your left eye was closed then you are left eye dominant.

The Stroke: Seeing Straight● I did extensive study and research into eye dominance and the effect that it has on how we see

straight when we are standing over a putt. I cannot take credit for any of this, I simply borrowed what other people found so that I could use it for my benefit.

● What you need to knowo Essentially, everyone sees straight differently. There is no one specific reason for this

(as eyes can be shaped differently and what not), but we know of some of the factors that affect how people see straight when looking from the side

Eye Dominance: Whichever eye proves to be your dominant eye can lead to why you see straight different from others.

● I am right eye dominant which leads me (along with some other factors; some proved, some coming from opinion) to be a “right aimer”.

Peripheral Vision: Not as important as eye dominance, but still is a factor in determining how you see straight.

● I have pretty good peripheral vision so this leads me to believe that I can see a “wider field of vision” to the left of the hole (I’m a righty) which leads me to be more bias to be a “right aimer”.

Other Eye Sight Abnormalities: Astigmatism, light conditions, wearing glasses (wrapped or not), etc.

● All of these things can also influence how you see straight.

The Stroke: Seeing Straight● But, by now you have probably asked, “ok, so why does this matter? what do you mean when you say that

it affects how you see straight?” Here is what…

● We have done the eye dominance test with an object that is directly in front of us. Unfortunately, though, playing golf does not require front facing skills like shooting a basketball, throwing a football, or pitching. Therefore, when we turn to the side and see things out of our peripheral vision as our basis for what is “straight”, “straight” can become skewed. There are two tests to show you what I mean (one is quick and less involved and one is what we will do that is pretty involved).

o The side view with a line test…

Find a solid line that connects from a ball to the hole. Then, without moving your head, use your peripheral vision to focus on the hole and the line. Does the line look like it is starting and thus going to end up going left of the hole? Does it do the opposite? Basically, does it look like, even though you know that you are lined up straight, that you will miss the putt right of left? If so, then you have an aim bias!

**Note that this test does not work in the picture because you are facing the entire image of the ball, the line, and the hole. The test has to be done standing over a ball.

The Stroke: Seeing Straight● The next, more involved test will utilize a laser, mirror, and what not to definitively show exactly where you are

aiming the putter head based on how you see straight. We will walk through that together.

● However, you might have some questions.

● So what if I have an aim bias? So what if the line doesn’t look like it is going straight into the hole even though I know it does? So what???

● The reason why this is important is because we tend to develop a stroke that makes us think we are putting the ball straight at a target for a straight putt! Therefore, if what you see is straight isn’t actually straight then you won’t develop a stroke that rolls the ball straight. Here are some examples…

o Three types of aimers

Straight Aimers: Extremely few people actually see straight from the side on position. I have a suspicion that the people who do see straight are some of the best putters in the world. Not to say that the best putters in the world don’t have an aim bias (Tiger for instance is a right aimer; like me), but if you can “naturally” see straight from a side on position you will “naturally” develop a stroke that rolls the ball on a straight line consistently.

Right Aimers: Tiger Woods is best example. When they have everything lined up straight, the line of their putt looks like it is going to miss left. These people tend to come to far to the inside on the takeaway and the path after impact is out to the right. Similarly, these people usually have a problem with releasing the putter or they keep the face open after impact. Right aimers, in my opinion, have a much harder time becoming putters because our natural stroke paths do not follow a fundamental arc.

Left Aimers: Some of the best putters in the world here. I think Jack Nicklaus was a left aimer. When they have everything lined up straight, the line of their putt looks like it is going to miss right of the hole. These people tend to cut across the putt at impact or tend to have a more straight-back-straight-through stroke.

The Stroke: Seeing StraightThe crazy thing about aim bias is that is also affects the rest of your game as well!

● Right Aimers: Usually hit draws. Struggle with consistent fades. Tend to be flippy with release because of too much holding off.

● Left Aimers: Usually hit cuts. Struggle with consistent draws. Tend to come across the ball to direct it toward the target. Hit pulls.

● More on this stuff in another presentation.

I could get way more confusing with the concept of aim bias and how it affects how you play (the effect of club shape, alignment aids, head position, stance open or closed, etc.), but I want you all to come away with one major point…

If you understand your natural aim bias then you can be confident in what you want to do naturally!

Ultimately, playing golf well is about playing to your strengths while minimizing the effects of your weaknesses. In putting or in ball-striking, you have to know what your body wants to do because of how you see things more so than what you want your body to do. Therefore, if you know that you body naturally wants to hit a draw or that you naturally miss putts to the right because of aim bias then you know exactly what you need to work on or stick with.

The Stroke: Finally, Actually Talking About the Stroke!

I want to begin by saying that you can become a great putter with almost any stroke! If you have watched any golf you will notice how there are some people that putt really well even though it looks extremely unorthodox. Therefore, when figuring out what stroke you are going to use, you have to decide a few thing first…

1. What is your aim bias and what do you want to do naturally? What does your “natural” stroke look like?

a. We covered this, but it is still vitally important.

2. Once you know #1, how can you make your natural stroke becomes efficient, consistent, and repeatable?

a. There are many things that I will work on with you personally to ensure that your unique stroke becomes more efficient, consistent, and repeatable.

3. What will your stance be?

a. Your stance will sometimes be indicative of your aim bias, but there are certain stances that cater well to some of the aim biases and even eye dominances. We will figure those out one-on-one.

b. Generally there are three stances: open, closed, and straight on. We will discuss the characteristics of each.

4. What will your grip be?

a. Some of you are probably familiar with some of the crazier ones out there, but did you know that one type of grip can encourage more of an arc in your stroke? Did you know that some grips are better for people who are right-handed and also left-handed dominant?

5. What will your posture/head position be like?

a. This one usually is a no brainer, but certain way you posture your back, shoulders, and head can affect how you see things as well as how efficient, consistent, and repeatable your stroke is.

The Stroke: Finally, Actually Talking About the Stroke!

Once all of the previous points have been addressed, you simply have to own your stroke. Do not get caught up in trying new and different fads just because you saw them on an infomercial or because the guy who just won the Masters swears that the new grip he used is what made him sink all of those clutch putts! First of all, winning any golf tournament on the PGA Tour is about way more than just putting (even though putting is important). Secondly, the golf industry is very similar to the technology industry in that it is only as profitable as consumers are willing to shell out money for new equipment, lessons, ideas, etc. Therefore, they know that if they can make you think that there is a new “silver bullet” out there for your golfing woes then you are more like to spend money to get new equipment or pay to go out to a course to try those new things.

Find your stroke, practice your stroke, and commit to your stroke! If you can do this then you WILL become a very good putter no matter what your aim bias is.

Psychology of PuttingFinally, we come to the most important part of putting...and it has nothing to do with actually

putting!1. First, you have to understand that a good “mind-set” when putting comes from having already

established all of the other things in this presentation (green reading, pre-putt routine, understanding your natural stroke, committing to your stroke, etc.).

2. Then you need to start disciplining your mind and outlook on putting in a certain way. Ask yourselves these questions…

a. Is your goal for every putt to make it?b. If you do everything correctly, will the ball go in?c. Are you the ultimate determiner in whether or not the ball goes in or not?d. Do you evaluate how good of a putter you are by how many putts you had per round?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions then you have the wrong mentality when it comes to putting!