Player’s Corner
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Lesson
By Elena King
The Longest Yard Why short putts and long strokes don’t mix. WHETHER THEY’RE FROM three, six or 10 feet, nothing exasperates a golfer more than those short putts that slide past, lip out or somehow come up short. One of the most common reasons for this is stroke length. If you tend to take a long backstroke for a short putt, you intuitively know that if you go through just as far as you take it back, then the ball will roll too far past the hole. So, you decelerate to shorten the forward stroke. A long backstroke and deceleration can lead to a putt that lacks sufficient pace to reach the hole, but it can also promote more rotation of the putter face in the hands, resulting in the ball
rolling off your intended line. The length of the putting stroke is crucial to have consistency with tempo, distance control and little or no rotation of the putter face in your hands. With the many advances in technology, science is proving that a longer stroke increases the probability of greater putter face rotation. Therefore, knowing appropriate lengths of the stroke will make a big difference in your overall putting. With these practice drills and on the course, it is very helpful to match your practice stroke length to the actual stroke. We observe many times the two do not match up.
PLACING TEES AT PRECISE DISTANCES FROM THE HOLE TO MEASURE YOUR BACKSTROKE AND FORWARD STROKE WILL HELP THE PACE AND DISTANCE OF PUTTS.
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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
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JUNE 2022
TAKE NOTE The measurements on page 34 are all based on an average green speed of 10 on a Stimpmeter. On a green Stimping at 10, the ball will stop 6 to 12 inches past the hole if it misses. Depending on the actual speed of the green and your tempo, you will need to make proportional adjustments in your stroke length. Inspiration for this drill comes from Dr. Craig Farnsworth and PGA TOUR player Brad Faxon.
