Ultimate Putting Guide
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ULTIMATE PUTTING GUIDE SCORE BETTER Drills to groove the perfect tempo How to hole-out under pressure GEAR TIPS FROM GUIDE THE TOUR Find the putter Lee Westwood for your stroke Miguel Angel Jiménez From Scottsdale Louis Oosthuizen to Karsten, discover Rhys Davies the PING range Bubba Watson Hunter Mahan John Parry Grégory Havret THE TIPS | THE PLAYERS | THE PUTTERS | THE HISTORY K R f | 3 ULTIMATE PUTTING GUIDE CONTENTS 4 BASIC TECHNIQUE 6 IMPROVING FEEL 8 PRESSURE PUTTING 10 LONG PUTTING 12 STROKE PATH 14 PUTTER DESIGNER Q&A 16 SCOTTSDALE RANGE 20 THE ANSER STORY 22 KARSTEN 1959 RANGE 24 PLAYER INTERVIEWS 28 REDWOOD RANGE 30 GOLD PUTTER VAULT 32 JAS & FAITH RANGES 34 60-SECOND CHECKLIST WELCOME A lot has changed in golf since the PING sound ULTIMATE PUTTING GUIDE SCORE BETTER first emanated from our 1A putter more than Drills to groove the perfect tempo How to hole out 50 years ago. Advancements in technology have under pressure GEAR TIPS FROM GUIDE THE TOUR Find the putter Lee Westwood given golfers opportunities to enjoy the game in for your stroke Miguel Angel Jiménez From Scottsdale Louis Oosthuizen to Karsten, discover Rhys Davies the PING range Bubba Watson Hunter Mahan John Parry ways never imagined. Many of those innovations, Grégory Havret including perimeter weighting and custom- THE TIPS | THE PLAYERS | THE PUTTERS | THE HISTORY fitting, can be traced back to that garage where my father, Karsten Solheim, changed the way Equipment Photography: Kim Porritt Instruction: Paul Severn & Kevin Murray golf equipment was designed and manufactured. Words: Neil Tappin & Paul O’Hagan Design: James Mason I hope this putting supplement gives you an Subbing & Production: Jon Couch insight into our desire to push ourselves to make The PING Tour player instruction content for this supplement better products and continue to demonstrate was shot at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Barney Puttick’s advice on page 12 was shot at Praia D’El Rey Golf Club in Portugal the integrity that has earned the trust of golfers Prices quoted throughout this supplement are around the world. recommended retail prices. Product information is based on claims and representations made by PING JOHN SOLHEIM, PING CHAIRMAN & CEO Ultimate Putting Guide 3 ULTIMATE PUTTING GUIDE NAIL DOWN YOUR BASICS There are some basic principles that are well worth considering PING TOUR PRO LOUIS before you approach the game on the greens. Here, I’ll tell you OOSTHUIZEN about the set-up and stroke essentials that will give you the best Winner of 2010 Open possible chance of success. I’ll also offer some key thoughts on Championship successful green reading to ensure that you pick up on all the crucial clues that will help you hit your target every time. 1 REDISCOVERING YOUR FORM If you have been struggling on the greens you have probably lost the tempo and flow of your stroke. When this happens, I hit some one- handed putts. By having just my right hand on the grip, I can release the putter better. I stop guiding the blade through the stroke and rediscover the flow. Notice how the butt of the shaft should always be pointing to your midriff. ust learn to This is an important element of the game on You m the greens as it helps with the rhythm and elease the putter direction of the stroke. r ugh the ball thro PING PUTTER MAJOR WINS: 1969 The Masters Anser 1969 British Open A-Blade 1970 US Open A-Blade 1975 British Open A-Blade 4 Ultimate Putting Guide 5 INSTRUCTION 2 ESSENTIAL ment TECHNIQUE Use an align The way you stand to the ball has a huge ck impact on your success rate on the greens. I stick to che have an alignment stick that I lay down on the position green very regularly in practice. Quite simply clubface this helps me check if the face of my putter is square to the target through impact. It is amazing how easy it is to let the important precision of this position slip, and laying down a simple alignment stick is incredibly effective. As you hit ball after ball this clearly visual aid will help you with alignment both at address and through impact. Whenever you find some time to spend on the practice green adopt this simple approach – without having to think too carefully about the mechanics of your stroke you will train a much more consistent move. 3READING 4 READING GREENS GRAIN For me, it always makes sense to look Grain comes into play more than you might at tricky putts from a different angle, think and for us, it is something we always preferably from the side. Just by walking need to be on the look out for. The good 10 paces away and looking at the putt from news is that you can usually see it quite a new perspective you get a better feel for clearly from a distance. The simple rule is the shape of the green. That really helps. that when the grass on your line looks shiny, Sometimes you need to walk away and by it is down grain and will run slightly faster. doing this you might be able to pick up on a If the grass between your ball and the hole crucial element that you miss when looking looks darker, you’ll be putting into the grain directly down the line. y so allow for a slightly slower roll. Keep this a r r u in mind, especially if you are playing a golf M n i course that you are unfamiliar with. v e K y h p a r g o t o h P 1977 The Masters A-Blade 1979 The Masters Zing 1979 British Open Anser 1980 The Masters Anser 1980 British Open Pal 1981 The Masters Pal U Ultimate Putting Guide 5 ULTIMATE PUTTING GUIDE OPTIMISING YOUR FEEL There is a balance that every player needs to strike. It pays to understand your technique, but we all have to make sure PING TOUR PRO RHYS DAVIES that we don’t get too bogged down with the mechanics. Winner of My set-up and approach are designed to help find the most 2010 Hassan II Trophy rhythmic, free-flowing and instinctive stroke possible. Here’s my theory behind optimising your feel on the greens. Let your arms hang and keep your rhythm constant 1 ESSENTIAL RHYTHM 2 STANCE WIDTH Finding good pace control movements and to try and make I try to stand tall over the ball with a narrow stance and let the through a natural feel is all about the change of direction in your putter swing in a pendulum style. Anchoring the stroke can affect the rhythm of your putting stroke as smooth as possible. the flow, so let your arms hang and try to take the control out of the stroke. This is why feel is hard Keep the rhythm the same for stroke. Posture is as important when you putt as it is when you make to teach because if your stroke every putt, but alter the length of a full swing and by standing tall, you let the tension out of your does not have a consistent tempo the stroke to determine distance. arms. Of course, I’ll widen my stance in the wind to find a stable base your pace control will always be This is the most reliable and but generally I like a narrow stance so my arms can hang naturally. off. The key is to reduce any jerky natural way to gain control. 1981 USPGA Championship B60 1982 US Open Pal 1982 British Open Pal 1982 USPGA Championship B60 1983 The Masters Anser 1983 US Open B60 6 Ultimate Putting Guide 7 INSTRUCTION 3 FLOW THROUGH THE BALL As I have already mentioned, a good putting stroke is a flowing you can release the putter properly to the target when your left wrist is movement. For this reason I don’t like my left wrist to be too firm. rigid. I find the face often opens through the ball, pushing it out right, The importance of keeping your wrists solid when you are putting is, for so in my stroke, my left wrist breaks quite a lot. It’s that movement that me at least, a myth. It works for some people, but I personally don’t feel helps me release the putter and this is crucial. Release your hands through impact 4LINING UP It is easy to get very technical on the greens, 5 THINK especially when you are struggling for form. So I make a mark on my ball to help with AGGRESSIVE my alignment. I just line it up to make sure Do not be afraid to miss. Your objective is I’m roughly heading in the right direction to think of holing the putt you face and and then try to feel the ball going in. By after that, if it doesn’t go in, try to make placing tees in the ground either side of my the next one. Every putt you hit should putterhead during practice, I know that I’m get to the hole, or at least most of them returning the putter square to the target. should, otherwise you aren’t even giving yourself a chance of scoring well. You can’t think about three-putting because to be successful in this game you have to be bold y and give yourself a chance. a r r u M n i v e K y h p a r g o t o h P 1 1983 British Open Pal 1984 US Open Zing 1984 British Open Anser 1984 USPGA Championship A-Blade 1985 British Open B60 Ultimate Putting Guide 7 ULTIMATE PUTTING GUIDE PUTT YOUR BEST UNDER PRESSURE PING TOUR PRO When the pressure’s on it’s easy to forget your routines.