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"The Need for Speed...on the Putting Green"

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This was one of our recent views from the back of the range after our January rainfall. As you can see, Bobby Lasken, and I have a great view from our office.

Canadian Tour Player, Perry Parker was one of our volunteers in the biomechanics lab at Centinela Hospital in mid January. Thank you, Perry.

Cleveland donated the clubs we use in the study. Once again, thank you Cleveland Golf for the clubs and bags and Accusport for donating the Vector launch monitor that appears in this picture.

Last month I covered "Seeing the Line" by adjusting your set up. If you have done the 3 minute exercises I gave you during the golf school or individual lessons, you will be able to set up square (feet parallel to the target line.)

If do not have the exercise program, you will need to adjust your set up by pulling either your left or right foot straight back from the target line to square your hips to the target line.

Now that you are "seeing the line," let's move to the most important part of putting, speed. No matter how well you see the line, speed determines the amount of break and distance. With too fast a pace, you will roll your putt through the break line. With too slow a pace you will roll your putt short. Your pace is determined by your visual focus and solid contact. "Seeing the line" will insure solid contact and, if you have good visual images, you will have great pace.

So what should you visualize? Most players use one of two types of visual images on the putting green, spots and lines. Spot putting is the easiest image to use but it is my belief that line putters are the best putters.

Players who are spot putters find their line and determine the distance they want to roll the ball on the putting green. Then they pick a precise spot where they want their ball to stop and they hold an image of that spot through the stroke. For example, if the putt has a one foot right to left break, they pick a point (spot) one foot to the right side of the hole. The more precise your target and image, the better your speed will be.

Let's go to the practice green and do a speed drill for spot putting. Place three tees 4 feet apart in a staggered line on the putting green. Set up to the first tee from a distance of 4 feet. Once the three tees are in place and you are 4 feet from the first tee, you will have distances set for 4, 8, and 12 foot putts to the three different tees.

Now take a ball and hold it at arms length. Stare at the first tee on the ground. Inhale taking a deep breath as you stare at the tee. As you exhale and return your eyes to the ball with a visual image of the tee and relax your shoulders. Practice holding an image of the tee projected against the ball for as long as you can. "Stare through the ball" and see the tee.

Notice that the longer you stare at the ball, the more your mental image fades. You have a very short window during which you will have a clear image. You should practice putting with a focus on three goals:

Gather the image of your target as you start your exhalation and relax your shoulders.

Start your putting stroke soon after you return your eyes (and image) to the ball.

For best performance, you want to start your stroke before the image begins to fade and continue to hold that image on the ground where the ball was resting after you stroke the putt. If you can learn to hold longer and longer images as you exhale and relax your shoulders, you will have no head motion as you stroke the putt you will develop great speed control.

Randomly rotate the three putts. For example, hit one putt 12 feet, the next one 4 feet, the next one 8 feet, another 4 feet, etc.

Please keep the following in mind: YOU WILL PUTT THE DISTANCE OF YOUR LAST POINT OF FOCUS. Focus your attention on a precise point on the green the exact distance you want to you're your putt.

Next month I will cover line putting and changing your line images or spots for uphill and downhill putts.

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