of your putt . Check the level to see which way the slope is tilting towards that putt . Then go back to your ball ( leaving the level on the green ) and now look closely to see the slope / break direction based on what the level told you . This is a great way to start to learn how to read breaks on the greens .
LAG PUTTING :
For the recreational player , being a good “ lag putter ” is one of the two things in putting that will lower your score the fastest . Lag putting means having the ability to control the speed of your putts from 30 to 40 feet . Good lag putting from this distance would be getting your ball to stop inside of three feet of the hole . I recommend playing a game I call “ Lag Putting – Par 18 ”. Pick nine different 30-to-40-foot putts ( don ’ t use the same putt twice ). The goal is to try and two putt each putt , if your total goal is to shoot even par 18 . Keep track of this in your note app on your phone . Log the date and score after each Par 18 practice session . Repeat often and watch your lag putting scores improve .
SIX-FEET AND IN :
The other important part of putting for the recreational player that will have the biggest impact on their score is Six- Feet and In . These putts feel like very close putts that every golfer wants and expects to make . I agree these are very makeable putts , but they require practice to gain confidence so you will make them when you need to . PGA Tour players make these putts 80 + percent of the time . So , if the best players in the world miss 10-20 % of the time , recreational players need to spend some time working on this distance . A great game I give students for this is one I call “ Compass ”. ( See image below for this game ). The goal is to make as many of the 12 total putts as possible . You could also use one ball and take it to each tee to putt . Record the date and your score each time . Yes , I add an extra foot starting at seven feet , but that makes six feet feel just a little bit shorter !
See you on the course ,
Coach Steve
June Newsletter | 5