Nailing short putts – the key to lower scores

By Grant Kenny

ARE you having trouble with your consistency on short putts, either when playing or practising? 

Short putts are the key to lowering your golf score.

Here are a few ways to find out why you could be missing these putts; remembering that the number one secret to these length putts is the IMPACT position of the clubface. 

Clubface direction at impact is the most important more so than the path of the swing.

Firstly, remember that you cannot slice or hook your putts. You can only pull or push them. 

A few things come into play with putting and one is the condition of the putting surface, which can vary greatly from golf course to course. Greens that are long and slow are hard to putt, fast and bumpy greens can sometimes be impossible.

Greens with a lot of grain can move your ball to the left or right of your line or throw off your speed, depending on whether or not you are putting into the grain or with it. 

If you watch players on the US and European tours, just remember that the green’s they are putting on are of very high standard, which helps raise their stats when it comes to putting. 

Now let’s think of your putter. 

There are many different putter styles, types, weights, lengths, lofts and balance.

Just remember they all can be manipulated to the left or right, swung up or down, so here are a few things you can try that will help you be more successful with your short putts.

Pictures 1 and 2 show two different set up positions. 

One of them has the right hand low and the left shoulder high. The other has the left hand low and left shoulder low. Both will work totally fine on one condition, that you can return to the shoulder and shaft positions at the moment of impact.

If you are to move your body slightly backwards or away from the hole before impact, the handle will lean away from the original position, adding loft and causing the clubface to aim to the left.

On the other hand, some people move towards the hole before impact making the shaft lean past its original address position before hitting the ball, which causes the clubface to be slightly open at impact.

Remember, it doesn’t take much incorrect leaning of the shaft at impact to catch the lip or miss short putts. 

Pictures 3 to 6. This is a great way to practice your short putts by placing a steel ruler on the ground. This will give you a perfectly flat surface to see if you are able to square the club face at the moment of impact.

Looking at the address position in picture 3, you can see that the putter is aiming straight along the ruler to the middle of the hole. 

In picture 4 the clubface has arced slightly inwards in the backswing but the line on the putter face is still aiming at the ball, showing the putter head hasn’t been manipulated.

If trying to take your clubface back straight and through straight like a croquet mallet, this can cause the face to close or open and be harder to control. 

When you are putting that you stand to the side of the golf ball … and your putter works to the lie angle of the shaft.  

You can also see when the club is back at impact in picture 5 and has just struck the ball. The line is pointing perfectly back down the steel ruler to the middle of the hole. In picture 6 in the follow-through the putter has arced slightly in again with the line on the putter pointing back to where the ball was at the address position.

This shows you that the putter has not been manipulated.

Enjoy your next practice session.

Grant Kenny, the 2018 NSW Senior Open champion is a coach at Thornleigh Golf Centre.
Phone (02) 9875-5445. Website: www.thornleighgolfcentre.com.au