Get the putting touch earlier this year!

Get the putting touch earlier this year!

Patrick Nuber

Certified Personal Coach

GolfTEC Golden

When someone has “the touch”, what does that mean?  Touch refers to one’s ability to judge both length and pace of a stroke in golf.  For the purpose of this article, we will talk about touch specific to putting, but know that touch applies to many different types of shots and usually is more concentrated on shots around the greens in chipping, pitching, and bunker play.

The first key to getting your touch back this year is to find out where you currently stand with your ability to solidly hit putts.  Being able to strike the ball solid is the first key to being a better putter.  Missing the center of your putter has the same effect as missing the center of your driver or iron….it ultimately changes the distance the putt will travel and whether the putt starts online!

Test #1 – Can you hit your putts solidly?

Take two small rubber bands and wrap them around the putter head on both sides of the centerline of your putter face. Typically, they will be about ¾ to 1 inch apart from each other.  Make 10 strokes for a putt about 10-15 feet long and count how many putts you hit solidly and how many putts landed on one of the rubber bands.  A solid putt might sound like a click while hitting the rubber bands will be a damp sound, no sound or severe jump offline.  A good goal would be to hit seven or more putts in the center.

If you cannot get to seven, then chances are you might have too many moving body parts.  In my experience, the body parts that typically move too much are the head, arms or hands.  Below are a few drills you can do at home to help reduce unnecessary body, arm or hand movements.

Drill #1 – Head Against The Wall

Take your putting setup and scoot close enough to a wall so that your forehead rests slightly against the wall.  Make some strokes back and through, keeping your forehead against the wall the whole time.  This provides you the feeling of keeping your head steady as you putt.

 

Drill #2 – Hit, Hold, Evaluate

The purpose of this drill is to evaluate what your follow-through looks like, since a good or bad follow-through can tell you quickly if you have a good or bad stroke.  Practice hitting putts from five to ten feet while holding your finish.  While holding the finish, take a moment to evaluate your left wrist and the shaft of your putter.  Make sure the back of your wrist is flat and check to see if the shaft is still leaning forward. If this is the case, then your follow-through is likely in good shape.  If you do not see these things, take some small, slow strokes watching your left wrist and shaft.

Don’t wait until July to practice your putting. Use these two indoor drills to get your “putting touch” earlier and start the season putting like it’s already July.