Putters

Thanks Mox for that piece of info.

I'm using a Wilson "Fat Shaft" putter, which is OK but, I did try the Odyssey 2 ball and the Taylor Made Tpi, recently.

Both were very good but, I was testing them in a shop, on astroturf, rather than on the real surface. I loved the Tpi and was very tempted to acquire one. The putter felt beautifully balanced, although quite heavy. My son uses the Odyssey 2 ball DFX and it has certainly helped him to putt better.

It's quite possible that I may take the plunge and splash out on a new putter.

Buying a new putter

AlanN,

Good luck on your putter search. Just make sure the putter is matched for your stroke. For example, if you tend to strike the ball in the centre of the putter, there are centre balanced putters. If you tend to strike with the toe, there are toe balanced putters. Hit your putts from the heel? That's right, they have heel balanced putters. If you mix your stroke with a incorrect putter, you will never improve your putting. With all of the variations of putters out there, don't just go for something that looks nice or something that seems to be really popular now. I suggest talking to a pro to help you determine which type of putter you need and then try the putters that fit your stroke.

Putter stays for now

I've decided to stick with my putter, for the time being.

My reason for this is the old "fiddler not the violin" philosophy. I made some slight alteration to my putting technique, this morning and the pulled putts disappeared.

I recently bought Harvey Penick's "Little Green Book" video. One of the topics covered is putting technique. He says that the reason most people pull putts is because of a too strong grip with the right hand (left in my case-being a leftie). I checked this when I went to practice, this morning. HP was dead right. My grip was slightly stronger than it should be.

I made the adjustment and, much to my delight, no more pulled putts. I have never putted so well in practice. If I can take this to the course, tomorrow, I will be very happy.

I have an unorthadox putting grip - many people have a straight index finger, pointing down the shaft, on the leading hand to try and prevent the the putter head passing the hands.

I differ slightly from this because my left index finger bends in and touches the back of the putter grip between the index and first finger of the right hand. I was going to take a picture of the grip but it's difficult trying to grip the club and take a photo at the same time This grip, to me, feels very comfortable and quite solid, something I believe which is very important. It also helps me to keep a better hold of the finish position until the ball has stopped moving.

Paul

DISTANCE DRILL:
Place an object, such as a can, about 25 feet away as a target. The goal is to get the first ball you hit as close to the target as possible without going past the target. This drill requires several golf balls.
If you hit your first putt and it stops 5 feet short of the target, this ball becomes your new target, 20 feet away.
If the next ball stops 8 feet short, this becomes your new target, 12 feet away.
If the following putt goes past the 12-foot target, the game is over, and you total the amount of putts you have hit.
Ideally, you will have a line of balls one after the other with minimum distance between them.
Again, this drill establishes a score and gives you an incentive to improve upon it each time you visit the practice green.


Relax and enjoy this great game

PS A note on putters.

Make sure the putter is the right length and fits you like a glove, you maybe have a standard putter and need it cut down to suit you. See your local pro.

When putting you need to be set up in a comfortable position, I myself found that when I allow my spine to bend forward and my arms hang down my left eye will hover over the ball line, pretend to grip a putter, make a few sweet swings as you would when putting,
Please stay in the position and ask your friend to put the putter into your hands, any excess in putter length can now be seen and can be removed by yourself or the pro.

The putter might need a re-balance to add some weight to the head but I doubt it will need much if any at all.

Putting is a precious thing and each player has his good not so good habits but its your baby and make it yours and yours alone.

It’s going to take shots off your game faster then any other part of golf. The more you practice the luckier you will get. “Garry Player”

Dont cluttered the mind with unnecessary swing thoughts that created awareness and caused frustration. By changing the focus away from the body and to the clubface, hand-eye coordination takes over; allowing the golf swing to become automatic. Everyone has the ability to produce an automatic golf swing. You must learn how to use the clubface to take advantage of this ability we all have.

1"APPROACH" the ball and take a relaxed practice swing

2"KEEP" your eyes on the spot on the ground...

3"ADDRESS" the ball... Square yourself along the line between the ball and your spot.

4 "DISENGAGE" Brain... and hit the ball.