Focus on Putting: Break 90/80
Thursday, April 6th, 2006
Intermediate and advanced golfers still need to practice to lower their scores. In fact, 40% percent of golf strokes per round occur on the putting green. To graduate from bogey golf, intermediate players should practice green reading and be able to identify the breaks in the green. While advanced players need to perfect their pre-putt routine to accompany their style of play. All these suggestions can be practiced at the club or on your custom putting green in your own backyard. You decide!
Breaking 90
Here are some helpful pointers for intermediates on how to read a putt:
-Inspect the slope and break of the green: Is the slope uphill or downhill? Does it break left-to-right or right-to-left?
-To establish the speed of your putt, look closely to the way the grass is cut, what type it is, as well as the setting. If you’re putting downhill, with the grain, your putt will be fast.
-When in doubt, step back and take a second look. Putt only when you’re confident you see the break correctly.
-Home putting greens by The Putting Green Company can be installed with more difficult undulations.
Breaking 80
What’s your putting style? Golfers with single digit handicaps should know whether they are line putters or path putters. But not all golfers’ brains think alike- some golfers think in a linear fashion and see the putt as straight lines and angles. Others think in a more instinctive, nonlinear way and see the whole picture or path of a putt. Practice these tips on your putting green at home or at the club.
Tips for Line putters:
-Take your time reading the green from behind the ball. Pick a spot to aim for, and then line up the logo on your ball to that spot.
-Place the putter behind the ball, and position your feet and your body to the putter face at 90 degrees.
-Hit the ball to the target.
Tips for Path Putters:
-Take your time reading the green from behind the cup. Look at the putt on the side of the cup from which you think the ball will enter the hole.
-Study the hole, visualize the entire path of the ball, then set the head of your putter and your body to the ball at the same time (don’t line up the ball’s logo to your target)
-Hit the ball, beginning its path to the hole. |
