Fundamentals of Putting

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• Main Menu
• Overview
• The Mechanics of Putting
• Diagnostics and Observation
• Putter Fitting
• The Grip
• Ball Position
• Setup and Alignment
• Lock and Rock
• Swing Plane
• Rhythm
• Eye Movement
• Pre-Shot Routine
• Pre-Shot Routine Template
• Green Reading
• Wind Effects on the Green
• Practice Drills
• Rhythm Drills
• Distance Control Drills
• Eye Movement Drills
• Speed Control Drills
• Pressure Putting Drills
• Before You Play
• Linking the FOP with the Mechanics
• ASSESSMENT

Putter Fitting

A correctly fitted putter is an essential ingredient in giving an effective and productive lesson. Without a properly fitted putter, the player must make compensations, which lead to compromised basic putting mechanics and ultimately to errors. In addition, the teacher will be prevented from seeing the underlying mechanics of the player’s natural putting stroke. Since building a consistent putting stroke is the goal of teaching, correctly fitting the putter is a must.

The starting point for a proper fitting is posture when addressing the ball (we will discuss posture some more when we get into the Set Up and Alignment section), in this case for a conventional putting style. We can deal with fitting long and belly-style putters later, because they require a different approach.

For a conventional putting style, the length of the putter is usually between 28 and 33 inches for women and juniors, and between 32 and 35 inches for male golfers. The measurement is made from the ground to the butt end of the putter parallel to the shaft axis, when it is in the normal address position.

For golfers without physical problems or an unusual posture and/or who have a permanently ingrained putting style and are not willing to change, the fitting procedure should be according to the following steps:

Step One:

Position the student with his/her feet about 12 to 15 inches apart with the toes pointing straight forward or turned out slightly. The ball is placed centrally between the toes but approximately ¾ of an inch toward the target, and about 8 inches away from the toes. This ball will position the putter face centrally between and below the eyes.

If later in the lesson the ball position is changed to be slightly left or right, this should not affect the putter length. Slight variations from this are acceptable but only if the set - up position is consistent every time.

Step Two:

Having established the ball position, place the putter head behind the ball and ask the student to address the ball with a comfortable stance, with slightly bent knees, and tilted forward at the hips for a spine angle of about 45 degrees (that is, halfway between standing straight up and lying on the ground). Note, however, that the spine angle from the shoulder blades to the neck should be almost parallel to the ground, 10 degrees above horizontal when the student looks down at the ball.

This spine inclination and set - up accommodate the correct swing plane about a spine axis located between the upper portions of the shoulder blades, and it will be discussed later in greater detail.

Using this posture the ball should be positioned directly below the eyes and centrally between the toes. Make sure that the ball position is not achieved by merely leaning forward or backward from the directed spine angle. Instead, move the student’s feet so that the ball is in the correct position.

With weight evenly distributed, this is generally a comfortable posture for most golfers. But it is important to allow the student to stand up vertically as often as possible. More than 40 seconds in this stance may tire the back and cause some discomfort.

Step Three:

With the student being able to take and repeat the stance discussed in Step Two, the instructor should hold the putter in position behind the ball and ask the student to allow his/her arms to hang vertically, loose and completely relaxed.

The hands must then be brought together to contact the grip and take their normal grip. The student will tend to revert to gripping the putter at the end of the grip, which you need to discourage and if so, start Step Three again. [Hint : To avoid having the student gripping the putter at the end of the grip you might try to use an un-gripped putter at the upper end of the recommend length range for the student and get them to bring the hands together on the shaft.]

It does not matter if the student is choking down several inches on the putter grip – in fact you should try to encourage a choked - down grip position first with straight – not stiff – arms and slowly move the hands up the grip until the student is comfortable, with the posture described in Step Two above. This upward slide should not be beyond the point at which the student is bending the lower arm, i.e. the right arm for a conventional reverse-overlap grip for a right-handed player.

If done correctly – with the spine angle just below the neck is at about 10 degrees to the horizontal – the correct length for the putter is about ½ inch above the upper hand. Mark this point and measure the length to the sole of the putter.

Step Four:

If possible, find a putter of this length for the student before going on to the next step of teaching the basic mechanics. If a putter of the correct length is not available, then place some tape on the grip, which would indicate the optimum hand position for the hands.

Gripping Style when Fitting:

If the student has a preferred and ingrained putting grip and is not willing to change at the beginning of the lesson, then use this grip style to fit the putter (for a detailed discussion of the different types of grips, see the next section).

For left- or right-hand low grip, if there is an overlap, the fitting should be as above. If, however, the student employs a split grip and the lower arm is straight with the upper arm bent, then the overall length will in most cases be an inch or so longer than the standard grip fitting.

During the process of teaching the basic mechanics, you may find that the student may putt better with a left-hand low or split grip than with a standard reverse - overlap grip. If so, the putter may have to be adjusted accordingly. Or if the split-grip doesn’t work as well as a standard grip, then the shaft may have to be shortened. If that is not an option, then the student will have to choke down using a piece of tape on the grip to mark the correct hand position.

Long and Belly Putter Fitting:

IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE ANCHORING RULE CHANGE IN 2016, NOT PERMITTING ANCHORING OF THE PUTTER

Golfers go to the long putter for numerous reasons. The player may want to combat the yips, or he/she is trying to eliminate some of the inconsistencies in the stroke. Additionally, the golfer may have a back problem and need to address the ball in a more upright position. Whatever the case, the location of the upper hand will dictate the putter length. In general, for men the long putter is about 48 inches long.

The long putter is used most effectively in a swing plane that is short of vertical, or inclined at about 5 degrees to the vertical. The lie angle is limited by the rules to no less 10 degrees short of vertical, so in many cases the 80-degree lie angle will result in a heel-up set up at the ball.

The belly putter is in the range of 40 inches long and is used generally by anchoring the butt end of the putter in the belly, above the belt in most cases. This style of putting is not a result of a back pain problem but to eliminate inconsistencies in the stroke. Again, the length is personal and is based somewhat on the physique of the golfer, something that could change depending on eating, drinking and exercise habits.