Grading
Your Putting
Grading your putting helps to evaluate
how well you are doing on the greens.
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IN SHORT
Putting can be broadly divided into four components. Each is separate, yet interdependent on the other components. |
There are four components that you can use to grade the strengths and weaknesses of your putting.
Think through your putting skills and evaluate how you score in each of the four components shown below.
1. Vision
The ability to perceive and interpret visual cues of distance and depth
Putting is a visual challenge and how you view your surroundings will determine in part how well you putt.
Every putt requires you to:
- Judge the slope to determine the break of the ball
- Estimate the distance from your ball to the hole
- Sense the speed of the green mainly through observation
2. Science
The physics of putting and the mechanics of the stroke
How your putterface contacts the ball will determine both the starting direction and distance that your ball travels.
You need to develop the skills to:
- Aim your putterface at your intended target
- Start the ball on your target line
- Power the ball with the required force to get it to the hole
3. Art
Visualisation, touch, tempo, rhythm
Good putters have an ability to visualise the path of the putt seeing the ball fall into the hole during their pre-putt routine.
This vivid mental image of impending success subconsciously controls the way they stroke their putt - in other words their touch or feel.
According to George Low, author of The Master of Putting, the best putters have almost invariably been slow movers.
Think of your tempo as the speed at which you swing your putter while your rhythm is the fluency of your putting stroke.
4. Mental
A calmness of mind coupled with a sound attitude
When the going gets tough, the average golfer usually comes unstuck. Putting anxiety creeps in, the mind races, judgement falters, and the smoothness of the stroke vanishes.
Controlling your emotions and staying focused on your target are among the toughest challenges of putting.
Your analytical mind wants to take charge at the very time when your mind should be empty of thought and working on auto-pilot.
Grading Your Putting
In evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of your putting, give yourself a grade for each of the four components. The next step is to work on improving your grades.
