Getting on a roll

Eliminate those damaging three-putts

By Rick DePamphilis

While it’s true that there are different strokes for different folks, any golfer looking to make more putts must be able to roll the ball smoothly along the intended line at the desired speed into the hole.

With that said, here are five tips to help improve your putting:

1. Reading the Greens

Although many top players attempt to read putts from more than one angle, your best read is from directly behind the ball, squatting down as low to the ground as possible with eyes level to the surface of the green. Identify which side of the hole is higher than the other between your ball and the cup. Does it slope right to left or left to right? Is it relatively flat or undulating? Is the slope mild, moderate or severe?

How much a putt will break normally depends on the severity of the slope and speed of the green, being particularly aware of the last six to eight feet when the putt slows down as it approaches the hole, taking the most amount of break. Practicing on a green with morning dew will help you identify precisely how a putt breaks.

2. Read the Speed

Ninety-nine percent of all putts stopping short of the hole don’t go in. However, putts approaching the hole with too much speed share the same fate. Imagine yourself rolling the ball underhanded along the surface of the green at a speed which gently falls into the front edge of the hole. At a “die to the hole” speed, the putt has three chances to go in (left edge, center, right edge) using the full 4-1/4 inches in diameter of the hole. At a “bang it to the back of the hole” speed, you have reduced the size of the hole to one inch (middle back of the cup), where the putt only has one chance to go in. Reading the speed of the putt involves more than just distance. Slow greens putting uphill require more speed than fast greens putting downhill, given putts of the same length and distance.

3. Take Dead Aim

Once you have your read and speed, pick the highest spot along the intended line to start the ball rolling, line the logo of the ball to that spot, then align your putter face centerline to the logo so that the centerline, logo line and intended line are one straight line. Square your shoulders parallel to that line with feet placed under the shoulders for square body alignment to the intended line. By using this method, every putt becomes straight by squaring up to the intended line as if it were the middle of the hole. If you have read the putt and amount of break accurately, gravity will take over and roll the ball into the hole as it loses speed.

4. Roll it In

You also must get the ball rolling on line to have a chance at making the putt. To get the ball started on line, the stroke path should be straight back and through with the putter face square to the path. A good way to check your stroke path is by using the parallel shaft track drill. Place two clubs on the ground just far enough apart to fit the putter head. Attempt to stroke the putter head straight back and through, on track to the intended line. If your putter head hits either track on the way back or through, your stroke path is off track rather than on line. Hold the finish to your stroke to make sure the putter head is still in between the track rather than outside it.

5. The Right Angle Approach

If your stroke path is straight back and through inside the track, but you’re still not able to start the ball rolling along the intended line, it may be because the putter face is open or closed at impact, resulting in a pull or push. Use the track drill to check the putter face as you finish your stroke and hold the position to ascertain whether the clubface is open, squared or closed to the track.

Remember that the ball, ground and hole don’t care what grip, style putter or type of stroke you use, as long as you are able to roll the ball smoothly along the intended line at the desired speed and into the front edge of the hole.