Angst aside , putting is about skill , like any other stroke in golf . It just gets more attention when you make a mistake . What ’ s important is that you do not beat yourself up when you miss , says David Angelotti , senior putting instructor at the Sea Island Golf Performance Center ( GPC ). “ Most golfers think they should make more putts than they actually should ,” he explains . “ You have to be okay with missing sometimes . Suppose you have a 20-foot putt . Players on the PGA TOUR make 20-footers 13 % of the time , so if you ’ re a novice or high-handicap golfer , what should you average ? You have to understand the probability of it going in and be okay with the result . The more you focus on the process of putting better , rather than the outcome of putts , the more often the ball will drop in .”
When it comes to process , Angelotti says it ’ s important to focus on green reading , distance control ( applying correct speed to the putter head ) and start line ( controlling the putter at impact so the ball travels in the desired direction ).
COMMON MISTAKES Angelotti says new players often arrive for putter fittings with hand-me-down putters that are too long and heavy . “ A putter that ’ s too long can cause posture to be too upright ,” he says . “ Using video , we help players to find their best setup alignments to improve their aim and start lines . We like to see eye positioning over the ball or up to four inches inside of it , with lateral positioning being from your nose to your left ear . We also check putter weight , because if it ’ s too heavy , it makes it difficult to control speed .
“ The most common putting mistakes are pushes and pulls — not being able to start the ball on the correct line ,” he adds . “ Another is inconsistent timing : not knowing how to control backswing and downswing to keep a rhythm and tempo in the stroke so the speed is consistent .”
During every lesson , Angelotti works to improve green reading , start lines and speed control . He explains that most players are pretty good green readers but don ’ t know where to aim relative to their read . Most will under-read and not play enough break .
BEST PRACTICES “ I ’ ve seen more people get better putting on a chalk line than any other drill ,” says Angelotti . “ Find a straight putt , lay down a chalk line and place a tee on either side of the putter head at address . You should be able to miss the tees , returning to the same place every time . Add a layer of complexity by creating another target between two tees a foot or so out .”
Practicing on a chalk line , with tees set up as a guide , improves putting accuracy .
PUTTING STUDIO
“ With our holistic approach to golf instruction , having specialists in all areas is imperative ,” states Craig Allan , director of The Sea Island Golf Performance Center . “ Putting is no exception and we are fortunate to have one of the world ’ s leading putting specialists , Phil Kenyon , as our director of putting , along with the talented David Angelotti . Our state-of-the-art putting studio houses the world ’ s leading technology , including a Zen Green Stage ( the world ’ s first fully adjustable putting surface ), PuttView ( which projects putt paths directly onto the green ), SAM Puttlab ( ultrasound measurement of the putting stroke ), and a GASP camera system ( video from four camera angles ).”
“ The great technology at Sea Island ’ s GPC allows us to take a deep dive into techniques ,” says Phil Kenyon , putting instructor to many of the world ’ s best tour professionals . “ Having the Green Stage where we can create different slopes and breaks means we can analyze the player across different kinds of putts and see where performance breaks down . PuttView shows how the ball will break , so it ’ s a good tool to help with green reading . With all these tools we can help a player fine-tune and give them tangible processes to take to the practice green .”
FALL / WINTER 2022 / 23 | SEA ISLAND LIFE 29