This is Part 1 of “Making the Most of Your Practice Sessions.” In my last blog I laid out the time frame if you had only one hour to practice and the ration of practicing to playing. It’s important that we start close to the hole and work our way to the full swing when working on all aspects of the game in a single practice session. I recommend starting from the hole (putting) then work your way to chipping, sand, etc and finish with the full swing. The reason for this is if you start with the full swing, you may never get to the short game.
Now before I get into practice putting, I would like to note that I don’t think the most effective way to build a sound putting stroke on a putting green. Why? Because it’s an imperfect system and if like most you can only find time to practice later in the day – it only gets worse. A controlled environment with good feedback can be very helpful. What I do recommend is practicing on a smooth carpet at home or in your office and using a couple of devices that give really good feedback. Since I believe golfers should work on hitting their putts very solid and get them rolling on the intended line, the two “training aids” I really like (I’m not an endorser nor do I sell these devices) are the DAVE PELZ PUTTING CLIPS and PUTTING TUDOR. You can get more details on them at www.DavePelz.com. Work in the distance range, with a straight putt, from 4 to 15 feet, and you will become amazing in this zone.
Now do most of your work at home or in your office (get a second putter), then when you want to practice the much-improved stroke you developed inside, go to the putting green and start by hitting some mid-range of putts of about 15 feet or so. Then start working on some longer putts – say 30 to 40 feet, but I like if you find a putt that is between two holes and on a slope so you can hit them downhill, and then turn around and hit them uphill. By doing extreme opposites this will help you with your speed control. Then you need to do some work in critical-make zone; inside 6 feet. Phil Michelson made this exercise fairly popular and I think it’s a great one. Find a fairly pitched slope and put 8 balls equal distances apart from about six feet so you are creating a circle of balls around the hole. Try to get two of the balls to be positioned straight uphill and straight downhill. Then go, one ball at a time, from ball to ball. This will give you every conceivable type of putt, from a straight uphill putt to a downhill left to right putt. The more severe the slope is, the more challenging this exercise is. Then finish it up with 12 straight putts from a choice of your distance and work on making your pre-shot routine as repeatable and as sound as possible.
There are many other exercises you can do to help you become a better putter – they’re all over the net. But if you do these things, trust me; you’ll become a very good, if not great, putter.
Joe..my man. Wanted to touch base and tell you how much Yogi would have dug you. Get your newspeople friends to finance a trip to West Virginia this weekend. Great notice, huh? The Greenbrier Classic is itching to become an institution. The new owner, Jim Justice would dig you as well and would most likely love to have you there as much as possible. Just don’t tell him I sent you.
Just thinking ahead. You made me remember one of Yogi’s lines. “Watch the ball, but never keep your head down. It’s gone, brother…just stand up tall..and watch it roll”.