Give Me the Beat b y M i k e Ta y l o r , G o l f I n s t r u c t o r
“Drive for show. Putt for Dough!”
W
e have all heard this saying, but what happens when we struggle with the speed of our putts? We either hit what we think is a good putt right in the middle of the cup only for it to come up two rolls short of going in or we putt it four feet past the hole and miss the four footer and three putt. Putting is an area of the game we can all improve with a little practice that yields fast results and translate to lower scores. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or Tour player, a consistent length and tempo of the putting stroke can help you control distance. Common putting stroke faults are either a long backswing with a short through swing or a short backswing with a long follow through. Both faults cause inconsistencies in tempo and, therefore, poor distance control. The answer to these problems can be found on your phone. I recommend downloading a free metronome app. Set the metronome to 76 beats per minute as a starting point. Putt a few balls to a hole from 20 feet, matching the tempo of the metronome. If your putts consistently come
up short of the hole, change the setting to 74 beats per minute. If your putts are too far past the hole, change the setting to 78 beats per minute. Keep doing this until you find a setting that allows you to hit the putt the correct distance. Once you have found your number, that will be the tempo you should use on all putts of any length. The length of the stroke will vary but the tempo will stay the same. “March to the beat of a different drum” and improve your putting. For a video putting drill that will help you get the ball to the hole and avoid 3 putts, email mikegolfpro@comcast.net. Mike Taylor has been teaching golf since 1989. He has coached PGA Tour players to 10 victories on the PGA Tour. Past students include Lucas Glover, Kyle Stanley, Boo Weekley, Harris English, Hudson Swafford, and Brian Harmon, among others. He has also been named Georgia Section, Eastern Chapter PGA Teacher of the Year. Mike enjoys teaching players of all abilities. For private lesson information contact Mike at 912.222.7795.
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