From the left: Center shafted, offset shafted, and heel shafted putters
all bring their own unique qualities to the putting green.

Putters and putting

Finding the perfect partner on the dance floor

By John O'Connor

Putting comprises almost half of the shots taken in an 18 hole round of golf. Touring professionals average 28 to 32 putts a round and they are scoring on average 70 to 72. Keeping this in mind, we should spend at least 25 percent of our practice time putting.

There are three different shaft options when buying a putter: Center shafted, (the shaft dissects the center of the putter head); Heel shafted (the shaft goes into the heel of the putter head), and one in between. If you like to putt straight back and straight through, you should buy a center shafted putter. If you putt on an arc, you would do better with one of the other two options. The next thing to consider is whether you are left or right eye dominant. Most right handed players are right eye dominant and prefer an offset putter. Left eye dominant players often prefer non offset.

How to Practice Correctly

One of the most important things I teach my students is how to practice putting. You should use at least three balls at a minimum while practicing. The idea is to putt each ball from the same spot and be able to make adjustments from your mistakes whether it concerns aim, speed, or break. The feedback you get will be invaluable.

When you go to the practice green pick a straight putt around three feet away. The idea is to train your stroke to putt straight. Work yourself back to about 10 feet staying with the straight putt. The reason behind this concept is the fact that every putt you hit should be struck straight. The green breaks the putt, not you. A putt hit at a speed to go 12 to 18 inches past the cup is the optimum speed to make putts. The green is not as perfect as a pool table. By putting with the proper speed you are taking away any imperfection that may knock the ball off line. Some days all your putts may look like they are going in and then the last six inches they veer off line. If you had hit them a little harder, you may have made them all. The next step is to putt the three to six footers that do break. A straight putt has an optimum speed but can be made by hitting it easy or hard as long as it stays on line. These breaking putts have to be made with the correct line and speed. The last step is to practice long putts, 30 to 40 feet. If you can learn to lag up your long putts inside three to six feet and you have focused on making the short putts, you will be on your way to solid putting rounds.

Proper Technique

There are a number of preferences in putting grips and stances. I like to teach a technique for setup, I call “getting inside the box.” It is easier to draw lines in something square. Try keeping your feet, your shoulders, and hips parallel to your line of putt. Next, make sure your feet are straight and not pointed in or out. When bending forward, let your arms hang under your shoulders. This will allow you to swing your arms in a pendulum motion. When gripping the club, make sure your palms oppose each other whether you are conventional or cross-handed. Place the ball close to your left heel and under your eye-line. From a good posture, you can find your eye-line by dropping a ball from the bridge of your nose. Where the ball hits the green is the approximate position. This allows you to see down your putting line better.

Playing the ball close to your left heel (for right-handed golfers) gets your right eye behind the ball for the best aim. The stroke can be either on an arc, or straight back and straight through. Choose the style putter that matches your stroke. When hitting the putt, try to accelerate through the ball. You do not want to hit at it. Your stroke should be smooth while trying to use the weight of the putter. Try hitting some 10-foot putts with just your right hand, then with just your left hand. This will help you feel the weight of the putter head and allow you to swing smooth without hitting at the putt. Players who hit too much at the putt tend to have trouble with their distance control.

John O’Connor has served as the head professional at Far Corner for the last 23 years and was named the NEPGA’s Instructor of the Year in 2006. A Lynn native who learned the game at Gannon, O’Connor and his wife Carol have two daughters, Shannon and Heather, and three grandchildren, Kylie (3), Gemma (1) and Maeve (4 weeks old).