Putting

By Allen Kelly, Golf Professional, Parklands Driving Range, East Coast,

There are lots of golf putting tips, but, unlike the full-swing, there is very little help available to show people exactly what they should be practicing.
In my opinion, two of the most important requirements for good putting are, "Face Loft at Impact" and "Point of Impact".

Face Loft - this is the angle of the putter face as it contacts the golf ball. Obviously, it is best if the face is exactly perpendicular to the ball at impact. Every fraction of a degree that it is away from perpendicular increases the chances of pinching the ball or knocking it off the green and not achieving true roll.

Try this..

Put a piece of 3/4" masking tape on the face of your putter. Now, set up for a normal putt...Can you see the masking tape?
If you can then your hands are behind the ball and the ball is being lifted off the green when hit with the putter, so distance control is non existent.
Try setting up and then push the grip end (top of the putter) forward until the masking tape "JUST" disappears, then make your putting stroke.
Ever wonder why those good putters pushed the top of their putters ahead just before they putt?

Facts...the putter face must be straight up and down to achieve true roll. believe it or not all putters have loft, just as every other club in your bag does. 3 to 7 degrees in fact. If you don't believe me set a square on a table, put the putter face against the square and see were the shaft is pointing.
That is how far you must tilt the shaft forward to assure the face is perfectly straight up and down and that's were it must be when it contacts the ball to get that sweet roll every time.
Practice this before you play, because you'll find the ball rolls a lot farther with a lot less stroke and feels much better.
One thing, be sure you do not push the shaft to far ahead, because then you will be pinching the ball into the green.

Impact Point - this is the point on the putter face that the golf ball makes contact with during the stroke.
The ideal contact point is referred to as the "sweetspot".
Usually it is where the alignment mark is on the top-center of the putter. In research done by putting expert Dave Pelz, he concluded that the most important aspect of these is making sure that you strike the ball with, or as close as possible to, the "sweetspot" on your putter.

If the ball is struck off-center then it has two major effects on the putt. Firstly, the putter face is twisted open or closed causing the ball to go off-line.

Secondly, some of the energy that was meant to be transferred to the ball is lost, causing putts to come up short.
The most common cause of three-putting is a badly struck first putt finishing well short of the hole.

Try this..

Get a small container of baby powder. Now, just put a little powder on the ball and make a putt.
You will see were the ball struck the face of the putter and if some adjustments are required.