I have been giving a number of specific short game lessons recently in particular putting sessions, which is very often omitted by the club golfer. There are numerous key elements which combine to produce the overall “good putter” label, I would like to discuss distance control & speed.

Putting has always baffled me from the psychological aspect as when we have a poor ball striking round or hit a few off centre tee shots the panic button is pressed, then everything we know about golf is applied to the next tee shot in an attempt to hit the fairway…(sound familiar!) I think we all know the possible outcome of this action!

Although we can have numerous 3 putts during our round we tend to take the attitude “It will be better tomorrow” without really addressing the issues. Putting is a very precise aspect of the game and one which if practiced effectively can be equally enjoyable as full swing work.

The ideal place to practice

The most common statement I am hearing at the moment from my clients is ” I could not cope with the green speed” so here are a few simple ideas to help you adjust to the Summer greens.

• I personally prefer to lighten my grip pressure slightly this can help with a smooth takeaway
• Have your putter grip checked as a worn smaller grip can cause increased grip pressure, I have found there is trend towards the midsize and jumbo putter grips with very positive feedback from my clients.
• Try resting the putter head very lightly behind the ball at address rather than firmly behind the ball creating a smooth takeaway.
• Visualise the hole is closer so the ball is rolling at a slower pace when it reaches the hole
• Think about your approach shot? If we leave the ball short of the flag for example this may well leave us a more favourable uphill putt
• Practice your pace putting before your tee time, finishing off with some downhill putts
• Use a softer golf ball in the Summer where distance is not a premium but control around the greens is required

Let’s enjoy our Summer golf and I would love to hear from you if you have found the above few pieces of advice helpful