These latest putting tips comes from Mark Clare. Thanks for the great info Mark! 


Two "P"s to Better Putting - Mark Clare

The consistency of the great putters has always amazed me. How many times have you seen Ben Crenshaw not only make the crucial four footer, but also the twenty, thirty or even longer putts? The best putters are skillful with the flat stick from any range. What is their secret and how will it improve your putting?

Watch any PGA tour event and you’ll see a variety of strokes. It’s apparent observing tour players that their secret is not in any one technique. Their secret to good consistent putting is in the pace and path they impart on the golf ball. These elements and the balance between the two are the key to great putting.

What do I mean by pace and path? Pace is the speed with which the golf ball rolls when struck. Path is the direction or line the ball travels when struck. As simple as these two elements are, quite often most of us are guilty of not properly balancing these two when putting.

Here’s a good example of what I’m talking about. If you’re facing a thirty-foot putt with a green that slopes left to right and slightly uphill near the hole, what do you do? There are several factors to consider. You must choose a pace for the golf ball that takes into account the upslope near the hole. Otherwise the ball will never reach its intended target. You must also select a path that judges the contours of the green properly. Too many golfers fail to realize that the golf balls’ initial pace will prevent the ball from breaking as much to the right early as it will when it nears the hole. As the ball slows at the end it will break more. Therefore the path you select must consider the influence pace will have on the break THROUGHOUT the putt.

Have you ever noticed that most amateurs miss their putts on the low side of the hole, while professionals miss just as often on the high side? Professionals choose a path that allows their golf ball to break toward the hole at the end. This increases the chance of the ball going in or stopping near the hole! When a putt is missed to the low side, that putt is breaking away from the hole at the end, resulting in those nasty three to five footers coming back.

The pace of the ball as it nears the hole is crucial to the ball going in or stopping close. A perfectly paced putt has a chance to fall into the hole from the sides as well as the front. A ball moving with too much pace may go into the front of the hole, but will lip out on the sides. A ball without enough pace breaks too soon and again moves away from the hole. Therefore your must pick a pace that matches your path to maximize your chances for success.

Historically great putters rarely run their putts four or five feet past the hole. True, there have been some very successful putters who putted very boldly, often leaving themselves with the testy putts coming back. Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson come to mind as two very aggressive putters when they were young. But both began to struggle with these putts as they got older, possibly from the pressure of having to make so many three to five foot putts. Conversely, great lag putters like Crenshaw, tend to age better and last over time. When your long putts finish close, the whole game feels easier.

Equipment

Certainly there is more to great putting than just picking the path and pace. The equipment you use is very important. You need to choose a putter that gives you control over your putts. This is accomplished by finding a putter that sets up well and provides superior feedback. There is no substitute for being comfortably setup at address with your putter properly aligned. This helps you hit the putt on the correct path. There is also no substitute for a putter that allows you to feel the hit. You need a putter that allows you, the golfer, to control the pace of the ball. This comes from the putter head, through the shaft and grip, into your hands. The feedback from a well-designed putter will help make you a better putter.

There you have it, the keys to better putting. Proper equipment allows you to hit putts on the correct path with the proper pace. Good Putting!