Golf Tip

Presented by Jeff Ritter, Nike Golf Camp National Director

2 Tips to Enhance Your Putting Game

Putting is a huge part of your score and the simpler you can make your stroke, the better for your overall results. Quality putting is all about precision and accuracy and being efficient in this aspect of the game takes a great deal of practice. Jeff Ritter, National Director of Instruction, provides two tips to incorporate together in practice that will enhance your putting game.

Tip One

To ensure that you are not adding any extra components to your putting stroke, grab your putter and place your hands so they are facing each other on both sides of the grip. Your upper arms should be close to your body with your weight on your lead foot. A triangle will form from the placement of your arms and shoulders. Focus on moving the triangle back and forth like a pendulum, swinging the grip between your trail and lead leg in a smooth 1-2 rhythm. Once you have practiced a few times, step up to the ball and make your stroke with that same rhythm and see how far the ball travels. The distance of the ball is determined by how short or long the 1-2 rhythm is in your stroke. This simplistic approach to putting will help you focus on the target and execute your putt.

Tip Two

It is extremely important that the face of your putter is looking straight down the path of your intended line of contact. If your head or body are moving around unnecessarily, it makes it very difficult to follow that line. To practice stabilization, all you need is a sharpie, a putter and an extra club. Grab a sharpie and draw a dot on the green and then place your ball on top. Take your set up and place the additional club so that it is leaning against your lead leg. With the rhythm from tip one, practice putting. Focus on the ball and your intended line of contact and make sure the club leaning against you does not fall to the ground. If the club falls, you know you need to make a few adjustments to reduce excess movement. Keep practicing until the club leaning against you stays perfectly in place.

The key to accuracy and precision is a simple and stable stroke. The combination of these two tips will enhance your golf game one practice at a time!