Position your eyes to make more putts.
Given its importance to your score every round, most amateurs don’t give enough thought to whether they have been correctly fitted for their own putting stroke.
The set-up for putting and the stroke itself is different from person to person but our eyes should only ever be in one of two positions: over the ball or just inside it. Our eyes should never go outside the ball.
To work out which is best for you, set up a straight, 10-foot putt on the putting green and experiment with both. The one that allows you to see a straight line to the hole from your set-up position is the best option for you. The shoulders, arms and hips will all sit square to the target from that position.
The greatest putters of all-time – Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Jordan Spieth – all putt differently, but they all developed the putting stroke that worked best for them.
In terms of the putter itself, I doubt many amateurs know whether their putter is face-balanced or toe-balanced and the ideal fit will be dependent on the path of your putting stroke.
I use the Capto Golf putting analysis system with my students and I highly recommend every golfer find someone with that capability. It shows me exactly what the putting stroke is doing throughout, the line that the ball begins on and the adjustments that need to be made to produce a consistent putting stroke every time – and hole those clutch putts more often.
If you have any questions or are interested in undertaking some online lessons, e-mail Jason at [email protected]
