Terri’s Teachings

MORE ABOUT PUTTING, MAKING PUTTS AND STARTING PUTT ON PROPER LINE

I think most players make putting harder than it actually should be.   I recently was having a conversation with a relatively good player.  This person was telling me how hard it was to see which way the putt would go, and if they knew that,  how hard it was to aim.  

Putting can be simplified as this, STARTING THE BALL ON THE RIGHT LINE AT THE PROPER SPEED.  Period, this is all you can do when putting .  To do this you need to visualize a few images.  

First and foremost – you need to know which part of the hole the ball will fall into.  Think of the hole as a clock.  Looking at the hole you have 6  and 12 o’clock.  More times than most the ball will fall into the cup at 3, 4 or 5 o’clock, also it may  drop into the cup at 9, 8 or 7 o’clock.  Very rarely will it drop into the hole at 6 o’clock, which would be a straight putt.  

Start by picking out where the ball will drop into the cup.  Take that point of entry and imagine the curve or roll of the ball back to the ball.  On the curve there is an apex, the point where the ball will start ‘taking the break’ (the top of the curve) and curving back to that entry point where the ball will drop into the hole. 

 It’s like driving your car into a sharp curve.  You start straight, hopefully you slow down to take the curve, (ie., the apex or top of the curve), then you come out of the curve.  The ball will do the same, it will reach the top of the curve and if hit at the proper speed it will come out of the curve and roll into the hole.  If the ball is going too fast it won’t take the curve, it will keep going straight.  If you do that while driving you will more than likely crash your car!  

The pictures below will show you the visuals of where to start the ball, the apex of the putt and the entry point into the hole !  

I hope this helps with making more putts and lowering your scores.  

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