Golf Town Pro Tips: Putting Alignment

Posted : June 18, 2014

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On the mark with Golf Town PGA of Canada Professional Corey Gentes

About a third of your shots – and possibly more – occur on the green.  Poor putting alignment leads to pushed or pulled putts, with poor distance control.  These players also tend to manipulate the putter head by rotating the forearms, prohibiting any chance of a repeatable stroke.

The Problem:

Most players I see will line up with their body closed to the target line, which will have them hitting some straight putts, but over time they’ll compensate by pulling putts, missing to the left.  These issues also lead to difficulties with distance control, as the player leaves putts short, a frustrating cycle.

The Solution:

In order to resolve this, a player has to work on the proper alignment.  Lay down a couple of clubs or alignment sticks for a five foot putt.  Now make some strokes without a ball between the clubs keeping your hands very quiet and using your shoulders to create a nice pendulum stroke back and forth.  Pay attention that your stroke is not coming from out to in or too much from the inside, use the clubs as a guide.  When it feels smooth and repeatable, add a ball into the equation and stroke form putts into the hole.

Feeling Good?

You can’t take the sticks out on the course with you so add in a dime or flat ball marker in between the sticks at the end closet to the hole.  Roll some putts over the spot between the clubs to the hole.  Keep your head down and listen for the ball going in the hole.  Keep your head down and listen for the ball going in the hold and focus on your putter face being square to the marker.  This spot is your intermediate point, which will allow you to transfer this alignment to the course by always picking a point where you want to start your putt over and lining up to it accordingly.

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