Wire to wire: A coat hanger can be the difference between a good day on the greens and a bad day
Straighten an old wire coat hanger, wrap an end around your golf ball to produce a loop. Create an ‘L’ shape with the rest of it and place it in the ground in a position in which the loop frames your golf ball as you set-up for your putt.
Why should you being doing this during your putting practise?
Well, the benefit of the loop directly above your golf ball is that it will give you an indication of your head position, not only at address but also during the stroke. Any head movement is not good when putting as it indicates a change in your posture from that of set-up.
With putting firmly placed in the accuracy part of golf’s accuracy/power continuum, any postural changes, however slight, that alter the putterhead’s impact conditions of path, approach angle, speed, face angle and centered-ness of contact could be the difference between one or two strokes being added to your score.
The next time you head to the practice green try this drill. It doesn’t take long to set-up and it will instantly give you feedback on the steadiness of your putting technique. I guarantee the less the ball moves in loop the more putts you will hole.
AND ANOTHER THING…
Do you know your eye dominance? Approximately two-thirds of the population are right eye dominant with the other third being left eye dominant. What does this have to do with putting? Everything.
Your dominant eye delivers more information to your brain than the other eye. This means that when you are lining up you putt, your perception of aim is mostly taken from your dominant eye. If it is adjacent to and not directly behind your ball you will get a slightly obscure reading due to the angle created.
Don’t make this simple mistake! To establish your dominant eye extend both arms out in front of you and create a viewing circle by clasping your hands together. Focus on an object in the distance. Close one eye then the other – if the object stays in the circle then that’s your dominant eye.
Scott Clark is a PGA teaching professional at the Colin Montgomerie Links Golf Academy at Turnberry. For lessons, call Scott on 01655 334190. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottClarkPGA -
Originally published on bunkered on September 3, 2012.
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