We all know that for amateurs, judging distance on putts is far important than getting the right line - handicap players are much more likely to be four or five short or long than they are to be the same amount wide of the target.
Here's one way to better judge the distance you need to hit the ball on the greens and the beauty of it is the only adjustment you need to make is to the width of your stance.
Simply, the key to judging how far to hit the ball is to take the putter head the same distance on your follow-through as on your backstroke. And, as you need a longer backstroke for a longer putt, use your right foot (for right-handed players) to determine the length of your backstroke.
Therefore, for short putts (picture over) have a narrow stance, for mid-length putts a slightly wider stance and for longer putts take up a wide stance (picture above) but in each instance, play the ball from just inside your left big toe. All you have to do now is make sure that on the takeaway you move the putter head until it's opposite your right foot, and swing it through the same distance on your follow-through.
Practice this a few times and you're bound to find that judging distance becomes much easier.
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 26 - JUNE 2003 |
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