I
f you've ever heard the
saying "Drive for show,
putt for dough" (and
what golfer hasn't?), you
know that putting is as criti-
cal to your scores as any of
the strokes you take with the
other 13 clubs in your bag.
"Students ask me what is
the best way to lower their
scores on a consistent basis,
and my response is always
the same – take fewer putts,"
said Tom Burley, the PGA
Head Golf Professional at In-
dian Wells Golf Resort.
With that in mind, here are
four of Burley's top tips for
becoming a better putter.
u u u
Make sure the putter face
is square at impact
The ball needs to hold its
line. Our assumption is that
at impact the putter face is
square, but is it really? You
can test this by placing a yard
stick on a flat surface and a
ball a few inches from one
end. Then, try making a putt
that stays on the yardstick the
entire time without rolling off
the side. If the ball falls off the
left or right side, you will
know whether your face was
open or closed.
u u u
Get comfortable from
close distances
Don't assume because you
lagged it up there to 3 feet,
your playing partner will give
it to you. Most of us take the
short ones for granted, which
is why it really stings when
you miss them. Practice hol-
ing out the short ones, no
matter what the distance.
u u u
Eliminate the three-putt
Master the lag putt by hit-
ting the ball with the right
speed, and getting it in the
hole in two strokes, not three.
If you know you've been put-
ting great from 2-4 feet, lag
putting is much easier, as you
can just get it within 4 feet
and know that you have a
great chance to save a two-
putt.
u u u
Improve your ability
to read the greens
Reading greens is always
tough, but it's really just your
best guess of line mixed with
speed. Survey the entire
scene, not just the direct line
between your ball and the
hole.
Be precise in what you
think the ball is going to do
and stick with your method.
Here in the Coachella Valley,
more often than not, the grass
grows toward Indio, which
will have a slight effect on
how the ball breaks.
.........................................
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golf clinics, lessons and more.
PUTT WITH
PRECISION
Four tips to help you
improve on the greens
BY TOM BURLEY
Head PGA Professional
LESSON TEE
BOOK
A TEE
TIME
< Don't take the short putts for granted – it t
ends to sting when you miss them.
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