January 2012www.insidegolf.com.au52 instruction .........................................................................................................................................................................................................

LeeHarringtonPutting, like a full swing , has genera l principles that need to be adhered to if you want to consistently putt better.1. Your palms should face each other

before your fingers wrap around the grip.

2. Your front eye should be directly over the ball so your eye can get a 90 degree perspective of the line.

3. Your forearms must be in line with your shaft which will put your grip parallel to your lifeline on your palm.

Therefore, i recommend:1. You carry a splint finger, which

is your left index finger pointing down the shaft, overlapping the back of your right fingers.

2. try and lock your knees straight to remove unwanted movement with your legs and hips and this also allows your head to get over the ball.

3. Your shoulders start parallel and also level to keep you down and through the stroke a lot longer.

Reading the greenA lot of amateurs read the green

and then putt straight at the hole, or

under-read the green. Look at a spot two metres right of the hole and two metres left of the hole and judge which is higher and which is lower. This

will give you a general idea of fall of break. Lock in your mind the line of your putt first and then concentrate on length of the putt. Then look at

the length of your putt from the side angle. The last thought you want over the ball is length, not line — as you have already decided this. A lot of putts are missed by getting over the ball and second guessing your read. trust your first read on line and think length as you stroke.

Pre-StrokeWhen over the ball, always make

your eyes focus slowly from hole to ball and back as this will allow you to see the line a lot better and slow your tempo down. take your stroke after taking a long breath and exhale, as this is when your blood pressure is at its lowest and therefore calmest.

The StrokeThe stroke itself should come from

the point of the left shoulder simply travelling toward chin and then returning to its original position in the forward stroke. This makes your forward shoulder the fulcrum and lets you roll the putt, not hit it.

DrillsPutting is very much a feel skill

and a good drill to improve this is to choose a straight, relatively shorter putt and to then putt with your eyes shut after you set up. Once you putt, try and guess by feel of impact where the putt has missed without looking up.

go out on the putting green and find a breaking putt and visualise where the very outside of the break is and put two tees to hit through in this spot. This will teach you judgement and help your visualisation. The best putters describe that they can see the track that the ball travels on to get to the hole and then they visualise this happening and going straight in the middle of the cup before they take their stroke. This takes training and is why kids putt so well as their imagination is a lot more active than an adult generally.

try some or all of these tips and you will reap the benefits while rolling your rock.

How to fix the flat stick woes

Lee Harrington is a PgA Member and is also the Development Officer at golf Queensland. Her passion for teaching and an eye for detail is recognised in her reputation as a leading female teacher in Australia. Lee’s experience in teaching provide a basis for programs delivered The golf School, a Queensland-based teaching facility. Lee teaches at the gold Coast Carrara weekly. www.thegolfschool.com.au. Email: admin@thegolfschool.com.au, or phone (07) 5596 3373.

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Friday 3 February 2012

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