The Four Essentials of Perfect Putting

A lot of instructors will tell you that the all good golf swings start with a good address, well it is at least as important if not more important in putting.

The putting stroke contrary to popular belief travels on a slight arc. It is not straight back and through. Since the ball is always to the side of you and the putter shaft is at an angle the natural path of the putting stroke would move inside you target line back to square at impact and then back inside the target line in the follow through. As a consiquencs the face would slightly open in the back swing square up at impact and then slightly close in the follow through. To make this motion natural you need to have what I call Four Essentials at address.

There are the Four Essentials you need to have at address to have a great putting stroke.

• Eyes directly over the ball. When you aim something, for example when throwing darts, you have the dart in front of your eyes so you can aim it at your target. This holds true in putting. With your eyes over the ball you can see your target line.

• Hands below your shoulders. Now notice I said hands not arms. With your hands below your shoulders you can make a natural arc stroke. A good putting stroke is on an arc, it does not go straight back and through. Since you are to the side of the golf ball the putter would move slightly inside the target line back to square at impact and then inside the target line on the follow through. As a result the putter face would open in the back stroke to square at impact and the close on the way through.
• Hips over heels. This allows you to have your weight on the balls of your feet. This will keep you balanced and stable over the putt. You would be able to use your shoulders and arms to control the stroke, while your knees, hips, and head stay still and quiet during the stroke.
• Putter shaft in line with forearms. This aids you in making a natural arc stroke. To do this you need to hold the putter more in the life line of your lead hand. The shaft will be more upright.

After you get these 4 essentials at address you might sense that your putter is to long or short for you. You can determine the proper length of your putter by using the Pythagorean theory. Measure the length from the crease in the wrist to the floor in inches. This is the vertical leg of the triangle. Measure the distance in inches from you that point from the floor to where the ball is. This is the horizontal leg of the triangle. When you square and add them together this makes the diagonal leg of the triangle which in turns becomes the perfect length of the putter.

Brad Redding
PGA Master Professional in Instruction
Director of Instruction
The Resort Club at Grande Dunes