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• Junior Golf
• Rupert Hunter

LESSON 9: Putting

Putting is an area that children excel at.

It will be an area of the game where many children will have had some previous experience, from playing crazy golf on seaside summer holidays or the now very popular adventure golf. The skills required are no different to that on a proper putting green, although you may not find many windmills or waterfalls to putt through on most golf courses!

To putt well, the line and the pace or speed of the putt has to be correct. The priority for children is to learn the correct pace that the ball runs at. How the putter is held, at a young age, is unimportant.

Always encourage children to finish the hole when putting. Not to pick up the ball, even is they have had a few too many shots. Don’t give up!

Keep the technique really simple. Play the ball in the middle of the stance. Try to stand with the eyes over the ball. Ensure that the putter length is correct for the child. If you are unsure on the length of the putter, consult your local PGA Professional for advice.

A useful image for children is to imagine that the putter shaft and the forearms form a letter “Y“ shape. Try to maintain this Y shape on the backswing and the forward swing.

Keep the “Y“ shape while putting

Try to keep the head very still with putting. A drill that can help this is to place a coin under the ball on the green, and keep looking down at the coin until the ball is well on its way.

With short putts, try to listen for the ball going into the hole, rather than looking up too soon.

In summary, the speed or pace is the key area to develop, but as always, keep it FUN!