Delo’s Divots: Nothing will drive you crazier than trouble on
the putting green. To simplify this, we will break putting into two
segments: distance and accuracy. Unfortunately, you need both most
of the time to hole any putts.
Nothing will drive you crazier than trouble on the putting green. To simplify this, we will break putting into two segments: distance and accuracy. Unfortunately, you need both most of the time to hole any putts.
Today, we will talk about the accuracy segment. First, let’s assume we are talking about a putt that breaks a few inches and not one that is dead straight (those rarely exist anyway). There are two schools of thought on these putts. You can aim directly above the hole a few inches at the spot where the ball must be directed so it turns into the hole with the correct speed. The other idea is to pick a spot on the line of your putt a few feet in front of you. If the ball rolls over that spot with the correct speed, it will turn into the hole as well.
Which one is better? I encourage people to use the spot on the line when it is a longer putt (more than 15 feet) and the spot adjacent to the hole on a shorter putt (less than 15 feet). In both instances, it is critical you visualize the break of the putt and the ball falling into the hole before you stroke it. That will instill confidence in your stroke and you will make more putts.
