Michael Breed

“A second ball can teach you what you need to know.”

Putting Checkup Try my all-in-one stroke evaluation

GOOD PUTTERS know how to blend line and speed. If one of those factors is off , the putt is probably not going in. Here’s a putting drill that will train you to swing on a consistent path and at a consistent pace. That’s how you control the line and the speed.

Set up to a ball, then place another ball directly behind the centre of the putterhead. Practice making a backstroke in which you slowly push back the second ball. When you change directions to stroke the putt, the second ball should essentially stop (right, top). If it keeps rolling away, you swung back too fast (right, bottom). Why does this matter? Because the backstroke sets up how hard you hit the ball.

Now, let’s look at direction. When you push back that second ball, make sure it rolls straight. If it rolls to the inside, your path is too inside; if it rolls to the outside, your path is outside. You’re even checking the putterface: A straight path means a square face; an inside path is an open face, and an outside path is a closed face. And just like tempo, what you do going back largely determines what you do going forward. —WITH PETER MORRICE

indoor fun for the kiddos

▶ Here’s a game

I play with my kids when we can’t get out on the course— or even the back yard. (You’ll thank me aˆ er you try it.) The goal is to chip or pitch homemade balls off the carpet into pots that you place around a room. You can also use planters, small trash cans, whatever gives you a nice target. To make your own balls, take half a newspaper page and crumple it up. Then wrap it in tape so it stays together. Try to use packing tape, because the slippery texture slides off the club. You should make 10 to 12 balls. As for rules and scoring, go ahead and make up your own. I would suggest giving a point for simply hitting a target and maybe double for knocking one in. Whatever you do, you’ll get in a little golf fun right at home, and keep your kids busy.