By Scott Rollans on May 9, 2014; illustrations by Katy
Dockrill
Golden Bears and Pandas golf coach Robin Stewart, '96 BPE, thinks most everyday players neglect their all-important short game. "I see guys out on the range before a round of golf, swinging their drivers and their irons. And then, two minutes before their tee time, they might hit one putt on the practice green." Tee shots are great fun, but a good putt is the single most effective tool in lowering your golf scores.
Eight putting tips from Robin Stewart
Simpler is better.
People are way too active when they putt - whether it's their head moving or their body moving or their hands moving or all of them moving.
Don't beat yourself up.
After all, even the best golfers in the world miss 50 per cent of their putts from a metre and a half out. If you miss one, just think to yourself, "Oh well, I'll get the next one."
Find a putter that fits.
Make sure it's the right length, with the club face square to the ball when you go through the hitting area. "You use your putter for nearly 45 per cent of your shots, but most people don't like to spend money on a putter," says Stewart. "Instead, they spend a lot of money buying the latest driver every year. It's kind of a weird disconnect."
Accept outside help.
Get a lesson, and learn what really should be going on.
Speed is four times more crucial than line.
"I can hit a putt a foot off-line but if my speed is good, I'm only a foot away from the hole," he says.
Work on your 'feel.'
In practice sessions, Stewart often has his golfers line up a putt, address the ball and then putt with their eyes closed. Or he has them putt with their eyes fixed on the hole rather than down at the ball.
Always putt out.
If you miss a practice putt, don't pick up the ball and return to your original spot. "That makes no sense. In golf, you never putt from the same spot twice." Instead, Stewart suggests, carry through with your next putt until you sink it.
Practise, practise, practise.
"If you can eliminate three putts in one round, you're three strokes better right there," Stewart says.
