Putter AccelerationPutter Acceleration on your downstroke is essential for accurate distance control. However, this does not mean consciously speeding up your stroke as your putter head approaches the ball. The mass of your putter head is enough to send the ball the correct distance. That is provided you have taken an adequate backstroke for the distance you are seeking. There are three ways to swing your putter:
Long Back – Short Through Decelerating into the ball is a recipe for inconsistency in both distance and direction. Such a putting stroke has nothing to commend it. It lacks any rhythm. It is a common failing of high-handicap golfers who frequently quit on the putt for fear of sending the ball too far. If you have this destructive habit, you need to change your putting stroke otherwise your putting will never improve. Short Back – Long Through This is a better way to swing your putter, but not the best. When you start to artificially speed up your stroke in order to extend your follow through beyond its normal length, you are changing the natural tempo provided by gravity. With an inconsistent tempo, the actual distance the ball will travel each time becomes harder to judge. Equal Back – Equal Through This is the ideal rhythm for a putting stroke. Based on the action of a pendulum clock, the backstroke mirrors the forward stroke in length. The distance a ball travels is managed entirely by the length of your backstroke. For longer putts you take a longer backstroke. There is no attempt to increase the speed of the forward stroke as a way of compensating for a backstroke that is not long enough. Acceleration The advice that you should accelerate the putter through the contact area is sound in the sense that it advises against slowing down the putter before impact. However, it can also pose the danger of over-compensation. If you hold the top of your putter with your left forefinger and thumb and let it swing back and forth, you will see that there is the natural acceleration of gravity on the downswing. The longer the backswing, the faster the putter head accelerates on the downswing. The secret of good distance control is to let your putter swing on its own. There is no need to interfere with the smooth acceleration that gravity provides. You set the backstroke to the length that you think is adequate to get the ball to the hole and then let go. Because you are not trying to change the rate of putter acceleration, you will develop a consistent tempo, not one that chops and changes. Unfortunately the caveman in every golfer (male golfers especially) sees us trying to muscle every shot. We want to take charge, instead of just swinging the club or putter and letting the ball get in the way.
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