How to save shots on the green
Station 1: Putting Straight and Aiming
Outcomes: Ability to roll the ball with an on centre strike where the face aims at address.
Drills: Putter gate and Ball gate with Alignment aid / without alignment aid 2 feet intervals as you improve.
Station 2: Distance Control
Outcomes: Understanding for how to control the distance the ball rolls with consistent tempo and targeting. Appreciation for the optimum speed for the ball to enter the hole
Drills: Core putt / Distance ladder / Interval drill
Station 3: Green Reading
Outcomes: Understanding of locating a specific entry point and how to determine the aim line. Routine for effective putt reading.
Drills: Fall line 12- Ball circle / Mid-distance single break Quadrant drill.
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Putting Straight and Aiming
You should be able to roll the ball through the ball gate 5 times in a row for each distance level. The distance marker is a rough guide for the stroke length as this is an accuracy exercise primarily. You should not be putting to a hole as your focus needs to be 100% on the line so you start the putt on the correct line.
Practice station:
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2 Tees for putter head gate
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2 Tees for ball gate 2 feet away (1 inch either side of the ball)
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Once you have successfully completed the task take the alignment aid away. Repeat with walking into every putt so you can see how they square the putter is.
Distance Control
The first exercise is to help get an appreciation for a smooth tempo within your stroke. The idea is that the time frame for your back stroke and through stroke should match in a “same time back : Same time through” manner. With no target in particular you should rehearse a stroke which is big enough to feel some momentum (somewhere around the right foot) and send a ball out to wherever it finishes. The challenge is to roll the next 2 balls out to the same point matching the same length of stroke to the same tempo. If you are struggling, ask yourself questions to determine whether you are changing the stroke length or your tempo.
Use a distance ladder with 5 levels so you can feel the progression in stroke length going up and down and then 5 levels at random (if time). You cannot move onto the next level until they have completed each previous level. Levels in the ladder should be 3 feet apart with the start point 10 feet from the first level.
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Green Reading
The player should be able to determine the high and low point of the hole to assess an accurate entry point for the putt. Clock face analogy will be used to pinpoint ‘what time’ the ball will enter the cup. The hole will be split into 4 quadrants with 3 balls in each to make a 12 ball circle 3 foot round the hole with 12 different breaking putts. This exercise can be extended to mid distance putts.
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Remember to always over borrow on longer putts as the last few feet will always run out closer to the hole.
Once the putt is lower than the hole the remaining ‘roll out’ will only get further away!
