The Practical Putting Session

by Dr. Tom Kubistant, CSP

Okay, I want you to take your putter and place it across your lap facing due west while reading this article. You are going to become friends with it again for we are going to put the magic back into your putting!

In the January issue I presented a major piece on my system of the mental playing session. Your feedback was very kind. Those of you who contacted me said you appreciated how detailed I was in openly sharing most of my “secrets” of working with players on their mental and scoring games. In that article I alluded to having separate putting sessions. Many of you asked me to elaborate on what I cover during these practical putting sessions. So gently pat your putter and read on.

TRULY UNDERSTANDING PUTTING

Anyone can putt. Your old Aunt Ethel can putt. Any little child can putt. Any good junior player can glance at a slick breaker, step right up to it, and immediately drain it. However, once you started realizing the importance of putting, these shots became increasingly difficult. Inexplicably, you started missing more putts. You started doubting yourself, feared more missing, and then made tentative jabs. At extreme levels, putting can disintegrate into the yips. So what was once simple and natural has become disjointed and even dispiriting.

The putt is the most precise shot in golf. Since there is such a small target compared with the other shots, it is natural to have some fears about missing putts (especially with the wounds of a recent four-jack!). Whereas one can recover from a poor drive, approach shot, or chip, a missed putt is a shot lost forever.

The great Mickey Wright once concluded, “Putting is a psychology, not a system.” Face it, the putting stroke is much more technically simple than the full swing. It is neither rocket science nor obscure mysticism. However, it is immensely interwoven with a wide variety of independent factors. Good putting is part science, part art, part experience, part routine, part touch, part consistent technique, part patience, ...and all confidence, commitment, courage, and concentration. Perhaps more than any other shot in golf, putting requires an engaged and immersed mind.

The best putters I have ever known--the famous and the ones you never heard of--have all been students of this stroke. They have not only studied Mr. Pelz’s research, they have also read the classic putting books of Jerome Travers, Bobby Locke, and George Low. From all of this, these students have developed their own philosophies, principles, and styles of putting.

And this is where I begin working with golfers. We talk about their theories of putting. We discuss how they read putts, how they target putts, the elements of their strokes, and what they think about during various putts. Quite often, golfers do not have a complete grasp of their styles of putting, so this initial conversation helps them clarify and expand their views.

THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF PUTTING

No matter the individual’s style, putter type, or grip (and I have documented over 18 basic ones each with multiple variations!), there are three essential principles to good putting. Once golfers understand and embrace these principles, they immediately become more consistent putters. Skeptical? Good! Read on.

1. A MICROCOSM. There is an essential personal rhythm to playing golf. The most consistent players stroke putts with the same rhythm as they swing at full shots. The putting stroke should be a microcosm of the full swing. Just about every yipster with whom I have worked violated this principle. These tormented golfers usually possessed nice full swings, but then jabbed at putts. Of course, pressure and doubts add to these punches, but there was really never much of a stroke to begin with.

Now, this does not mean that everyone should stroke putts like a Larry Mize or Ben Crenshaw. If your full swing is long and languid like them, fine. So should be your putting stroke. However, if your full swing is compact like a Craig Stadler or Christie Kerr, so should be your putting stroke. Apply the essential rhythm of your full swings into your putting strokes.

2. “STROLL” YOUR PUTTS. Two mechanical features the best putters share are that they take away the putter very low to the ground which also includes a very long follow-through. In fact, the follow-through should be at least as long as the takeaway. Pop, jab, or hit strokes have very little follow-through. Although these pops might have been effective a generation ago when the greens were longer and the lofts were higher, they do not work as well today.

This long follow-through implies an acceleration of the stroke. When I work with golfers, I ask them to choose one of two words as a cue for accelerating the putting stroke. Golfers either feel more comfortable with “smooth” or “gradual” acceleration. Whichever word you choose, use it to remind you to smoothly or gradually accelerate the through-stroke. 

I have created the word “stroll” (stroke + roll) to summarize gradually accelerated putts. Strolled putts ease through the entire stroke and gently kiss the ball. Such strolls create a “heavier” roll on the ball which keeps it on line better. A smoothly accelerated putt tends to release the clubhead thus making more consistent contact with the ball. Strolling your putts connects all the mechanical elements of the putting stroke.

3. SPEED CONTROL. Whether or not you believe makable putts should die in the hole or roll 17 inches past, all good strolls have precise speed control. On longer putts, this concept expands into distance control. It may not come as a surprise to you that one of the research studies I conducted found that about 92 percent of three-putts were due to poor distance control on the first approach putt.

It is important to understand that there are five phases to every putt. They are: (1) the skip off the face, (2) acceleration, (3) coast, (4) deceleration, and (5) the trickle to a stop. Of course, on uphill and into grain putts, each of these phases is compacted. The reverse is true on downhill and downgrain putts where each phase is expanded. In either case, strolled heaver putts extend the coasting phase. Such putts possess more momentum. This is one of the secrets to good putting. Shhh ...don’t tell others!

One phenomenon I encounter with many players is that they are hesitant to stroll the ball past the hole. It is almost as if there is something deep in the collective unconscious which makes them believe the world drops off right past the hole! In their primes, both Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson were great putters (especially under pressure) because they were bold on the first putts. If those putts didn’t go in, they gained a good read on the comebackers...

A useful warmup technique I recommend players do when they first walk onto the practice putting green before a round is not to initially putt at a hole. Instead, they should stroll longer putts in all directions to start gaining a feel for the speed and contours of the green. Granted, although the greens on the course may have a little different texture, you can start calibrating feel from the practice green. Only after you have a pretty good feel of the speed, then start aiming putts at holes.

Okay, do these three principles make sense to you? Understand and honor each of them. Consistent and courageous putting stem from these principles.

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF READING PUTTS

A committed miss is much better than a clueless make. Ponder this proposition for a moment. Great putters trust their reads. Few things are worse than having no idea how a putt breaks and “hoping” the ball near the hole. There is an art and science to reading greens and targeting putts. Let’s look at both of these skills.

READING GREENS. The best putters feel the line as much as they see the line. They first use science and experience so that they can let art and intuition come out.

Reading a putt begins when you are walking up to the green. Take in the big picture of both the green and the surrounding topography. As you survey the green, here are some questions you should ask yourself. What is the overall slope? Where are the other levels of the green? Where are the back slopes of greenside bunkers? Where are the drainage areas (most greens have 2-3 of these in which the grain, thickness, and slope are more pronounced)? Are their regular shaded areas? Where are the influencing rivers, oceans, hills, mountains, and valleys, (not to mention black holes!)? What would be the general direction of the grain and even the wind?

As you reach the green, use the above information to start plotting out the putt. Generally determine the speed of the putt and how it will break. A good rule of thumb is to factor speed/distance before break. Good readers pace off the putt and even walk around the hole. Some appear like they are stalking prey. They are feeling the slope as much as with their feet as with their eyes. Especially on a breaking putt, look at it from the low side. You can gain better sensations and perceptions from the low side.

As players assimilate all of this information, they make the mental transition from reading the putt to creating a line.

TARGETING PUTTS. Precisely how do you target putts? Is the break measured in inches, ball diameters, cup widths, inside or outside of edges ...or merely “out thataway?” Do you use apex points? How do you read the speed of the green near the hole? Whichever method you use, it is critical that you employ it consistently. Conscientiously following your system of targeting prevents silly mistakes and enables you to put more committed strolls on the ball.

Here is another targeting method I devised you may want to consider. Pretend the cup is like a clock with 12 being the farthest point from you and six being the closest. Use this imaginary clock to target just at what “time” the ball will go into the hole. You see, on every breaking putt the ball is actually going straight ...from its point of view. Too often, many of us target breaking putts to go into the center of the hole (6 o’clock) when really the true center is at an angle away from us. This is why we miss such putts on the low side where the ball breaks in front of the hole. Visualize the angle at which the ball should go into the hole. Read the “time” of putts as specifically as “7:30” or “5:15.” This method helps achieve a good feel of the angle in which the ball goes into the hole.

Whichever targeting method you employ, make sure you factor in the all-important speed component. So you may want to say such statements to yourself as “one ball to the right, firm” or “8:00 smooth.” Every targeted putt should include both speed and break.

As your concentration goes from broad awareness to narrow attention you will be making the transition from planning to executing. Your preputt routine will help complete this process.

PREPUTT ROUTINE

As consistently as you groove your preshot routine, you should be at least that precise with the preputt routine. Under pressure or discouragement there is a tendency to rush or skip these routines. When you think about it, these are exactly the times when you need to follow them the most.

I have golfers first verbalize then act out their preputt routines. I am continually surprised at how many don’t follow what they say. Verbalize and act out your own preputt routine, like you were explaining it. You may be surprised at what you discover.

It seems paradoxical, but the purpose of a structured preputt routine is to free you up to make committed and fluid strolls. Especially under pressure, a solid preputt routine also serves as a relaxation tool. It can be seen as a comforting harbor from the wild seas of doubt and pressure. It should actually be a relief when you commence your preputt routine.

Although your playing partners’ putting may interrupt your own routine, emphasize what you can control when you can control it. Here are some key elements of any preputt routine:

¥ Commit yourself to your line. Consciously affirm what you are going to do with the putt. “5:30 firm” or “Left edge smooth” act as methods of programming your mind and body.

¥ Visualize the path of the putt. Precisely see the path of the ball including the speed, apex breaking point, and the angle in which it goes into the hole. Choose whether to play this mental movie either forwards or backwards. Some players prefer working the putt back from the hole, through the last four feet of the break (when it is in the decelerating or trickling phases), and to the high point. Even if you are not particularly visual, detail the desired path the best you can.

¥ Relax. Especially under pressure, do something a little physical to remind yourself to relax. Shake out your arms before your practice strokes, shrug your shoulders, tighten and then relax your grip, or breath deeply.

¥ Rehearsal strokes. Just as in the full shot preshot routine, groove how and when you take preputt strolls. The purpose of these rehearsal strokes is to program the desired stroll. They also help make the transition from thinking to doing. Now, some players do not make practice strokes. That is okay as long as they somehow make the transition. Some players make one practice stroll behind the ball before they walk up to it. Other players make two strolls aside of the ball. Just make sure you complete your rehearsal strolls. Don’t make abbreviated mindless swipes. Use your practice strolls as rehearsals to solid performances.

¥ Lock in. Many find it helpful to do something physical with the putter just before they take it back. Nick Price always first placed his putter in front of the ball and then looped it back over behind it. Some place a little forward press while others gently tap the clubhead on the ground. All of these techniques aid in engaging rhythm and not becoming stuck.

¥ Become ready to pull the trigger. Once you are over the ball, what do you do to become ready? Although you may not want to be like Jack Nicklaus who seemed to stoop interminably over the ball, he actually waited for himself to feel ready. Over the ball, most find doing something visual helps them become ready. Move your head so your dominant eye is directly over the ball. You may even want to slightly tilt your head so your dominant eye is closer to the ball. Then focus on an individual dimple, look at the space between the putter face and the ball, look at the logo, unfocus and take in the ball as a whole three dimensional sphere, or spot a piece of grass just ahead of the ball. Whatever you do, remember that the act of visually focusing initiates the execution process.

¥ Keep on refining and grooving your preputt routine. One of the hardest things I ever did with my routine was to decrease my rehearsal strolls from two beside the ball to one behind the ball. I was amazed at how difficult this was. Become increasingly consistent and efficient with your preputt routine. Remember, a solid routine actually frees you up to release good strolls.

PRESSURIZED PRACTICE

Hopefully, most of the above makes sense. However, all of this is useless unless you regularly practice them. Pick out one thing from what I presented and emphasize it during the next practice session. Even if this means practicing your rehearsal stroll on the carpet at home, this counts. Always make sure that the last third of each practice session you put it all together emphasizing full putting performances. Conclude every practice session feeling connected, clear, and confident.

One valuable practice technique is to stroke without the ball. You see, whenever most of us practice we hit a ball. This is all well-and-good, but also spend some time just stroking the putter. Groove a feel for the proper line and rhythm of your stroke. Do this at home and even during a round. What are some pros doing on the green when another is putting? They are out of sight practicing their own strokes. Do you think you should do the same?

Here is a neat little non-ball practice drill. Remember when I presented earlier that good putters take the clubhead back very low to the ground? Place a nickel 3-4 putter widths behind your club and see if you can brush it on the backstroke. When you can do this consistently you will have grooved a flat pendulum stroke.

In order to heat temper your putting, experiment with various pressure practices. Play such little games with yourself as making every 3-foot putt in a circle around a hole, no 3 putts on nine different approach putts, successfully draining 6 putts each one foot farther from the hole. In any of the above games, if you miss one you have to start from the beginning. I’ve sometimes had to stay out there until dark! One of my favorite pressure practice games is Mr. Pelz’s “Safety Drawback.” On the approach putt you have to get the putt in a 34-inch semicircle behind hole high. If you don’t, you have to draw back the ball one putter length on the subsequent putt until you sink it. This little game puts pressure on all phases of putting.

You may even want to compete against friends. Playing for a soda or just bragging rights increases the stakes of your practices. Pushing your game by these little competitions hardens you. Now, I am not advocating gambling, but find ways to put pressure on your putting to see how well you and your stroke hold up.

Make these practices challenging, but also make them fun. Most importantly, practice the way you want to play. Take your time and go through your preputt routine on all putts. In essence, there is no such thing as practice putts. The basal levels of your brain cannot distinguish between a practice session putt versus one on the final green. If you can prove some things to yourself on the practice green, believe you can replicate them on the course.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DRAINING PUTTS

After all of the above have been accomplished, there is still the little matter of sinking putts on the course. When you think about it, even Annika Sorenstam and Vijay Singh miss more putts than they make. So don’t be so hard on yourself. View every putt as a creative challenge. Here are the main mental and playing putting tactics we cover during our sessions.

¥ First and foremost, emphasize the process of strolling a good putt. Do not concern yourself with the outcome. Do not say to yourself something like, “I just gotta make this putt.” Instead, immerse yourself into the process of executing the shot. Drained putts should almost come as a surprise to you.

¥ Be clear and committed. The only way to see if your reading and targeting were correct is to completely throw yourself into your plan. Learn from both your failures and successes so that your reading and targeting become even more accurate.

¥ Unlike full swings, when you are over the putt you should seek to have an empty mind. You may choose to emphasize a putting cue when you are targeting or rehearsing the putt. However, when you are over the ball, visually focus on your emphasis, empty your mind, wait to feel ready, and then pull the trigger.

¥ View approach putts like you do full approach shots. I hate the term “lag putt.” This is way too defensive of a concept for my tastes. Plan out where you want to leave the approach putt to provide an easier payoff putt. Sometimes this means not even aiming at the hole or purposefully rolling the ball past it. One little image I find useful in calibrating the “weight” to stroll long approach putts is to pretend there is a thick rubber band around both the ball and the hosel. As I take back the putter, this rubber band expands eventually creating the proper resistance. From this point, I then smoothly accelerate releasing this tension.

¥ Cut in half the distance you view putts as “makable.” From the first series of scoring research I conducted, I discovered that most golfers have too long of a distance in which they believe putts are makable. When they cut in half this distance, they not only made a higher percentage of them, they also made a higher percentage of mid-range putts. Do whatever you can to take the pressure off your putting.

¥ On any putt beyond four feet you should give priority to speed/distance versus line/break. Don’t “fall in love with the line” and leave the putt short. Emphasize strolling the ball creating a heavy roll.

¥ Relax with the prospects of missing. Mentally reframe any miss in a positive way. Consciously say to yourself, “Hey, at least I had good speed control on it,” “That was a great committed stroll,” “I left it in a good spot,” or “I know how this comebacker will break.”

¥ Stay positive with your putting. Sure, you will misread some putts, others will occasionally hit an old ballmark, and a couple will lip out. Laugh at your misses! No matter what we covered above, there are simply some things you cannot control. The important thing is to stay positive and encouraging.

¥ Be patient. No matter how well you stroll putts, sometimes they just don’t fall in. Be patient and “wait `em oot.” Keep on doing the proper things. Remind yourself that good strolls will eventually drop.

As Mickey Wright said, putting is all about psychology. Which leads us to the most enduring quality.

BELIEVE

This is probably more than you ever wanted to know about putting! For such a simple stroke, there is an awful lot to it. You can see why I have multiple sessions with my golfers. And this does not even take into account the special challenges of yipsters. It is another seeming contradiction that by going through all of these emphases putting can again become simple and pure. 

The important thing is that you start earning the belief you are a good putter. Even though you might have an occasional poor putting round, retain the belief that you are an overall good putter. Confidence and belief are intertwined. Indeed, the root of the word “confidence” literally means “with faith.” Confidence is a resultant feeling which comes from regular routines, smart practice, and building on successes. Touch, intuition, and even courage all evolve from true confidence. Which all comes back full-circle to a deeper belief in your putting.

Throughout reading this article, you might have felt the putter on your lap heating up or even vibrating! Although there may be “a secret” to putting, I am not going to tell you. You see, what is a proven secret for one golfer may be folly to another. The important thing is to discover your own secrets. However, honoring the core principles, reading greens and targeting putts, grooving your preputt routine, pressurize practicing, and adhering to scoring tactics all lead to better strolls. Once achieved, magic will come back into your putting. 

Now, doesn’t your putter feel differently in your hands?!

[ Home ] [ Up ]

Send mail to webmaster@golftodaymagazine.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2002 Golf Today Magazine