Putting drills don’t need to be long and difficult. I’ve talked a lot in putting tips about a smooth putting stroke; A stroke without any hesitation or erratic moves from beginning to end. Forgetting about the ball and making it invisible is a good tip to keep in mind.
A golf tip to remember about all golf swings and putts it that you are not striking at the ball, you are swinging through it. It’s important to understand the distinction. Let’s use a baseball analogy.
The only way to get a solid hit in baseball is to swing the bat and strike the ball. The ball can be moving 90 miles an hour or more, so there’s a lot of coordination, skill and practice required to hit a fast. On the other end of the spectrum is a bunt. The bunt is intended to just push or pull the ball in front of the plate.
Your putting stroke must be like the full baseball swing. You start it and swing through. If you decelerate the putting stroke, you’ll be bunting at the ball instead of stroking through it. Deceleration is what happens when you bunt or stab at the ball. Most times, you will push the ball to the right for a right handed putter.
So the drill is pretty simple. Get in your stance and be ready to putt the ball. Look at the target on last time, then close your eyes and make take your putt. Feel how you stroke right through the ball. Your stroke should be smooth and accelerating through the ball.
The ball may not go where you intended the first few times, but you’ll be surprised at how quickly you will compensate. Taking away your visual cues for the point of contact should go a long way toward developing the smooth putting stroke.
I’m aiming to keep these putting drills simple and to the point. Good luck.
