Tip no. 18 - Putting tip and drill
with Pachesham Golf Academy

"Drive for show - putt for dough". Depending on your handicap, putting is anywhere from a third to a half of all the strokes you take in a round.
It may not be as much fun as booming away big drives on the range, but practising reliable approach putting and good holing-out are two of the most valuable skills you can learn.

• Many club golfers struggle to hit a consistent speed with their putts and also struggle to hit their intended line. • One of the main reasons is their wrists are hinging excessively throughout the stroke, affecting the path and the loft of the putter. • A great drill to improve your stroke and reduce the activity of the wrists is to use an alignment stick. Place the stick into the back of the putter and into your sternum; make sure the stick is parallel to the putter shaft. As you make your stroke ensure the stick remains parallel to the shaft. • Done correctly this will massively reduce the involvement of the wrists and provide you with greater control of the path and the loft of the putter resulting in a consistency of strike and better distance control.

THE COMPLETE ONE MINUTE TIPS, WITH   No. 1: Common Ball Flights - your golf ball is your teacher! No. 2: The Set Up - grip, stance and posture No. 3: The Straight Shot - getting the basics right No. 4: The Fade - for a gently-curving, soft-landing shot No. 5: The Pull - trees down the left? No worries! No. 6: The Hook - commonest fault in lower handicappers No. 7: The Pull Hook - eliminate this destructive shot No. 8: The Draw - for a penetrating, powerful ball flight No. 9: The Push - water to the right? No problem! No. 10: The Slice - cure this curse of the high handicapper No. 11: The Push Slice - fix it and keep out of the thick stuff No. 12: The Swing - backswing and downswing explained No. 13: Distance - tips for hitting it further No. 14: Pitching - master this basic scoring shot No. 15: Chipping - turn three into two around the green No. 16: The Lob - loft it and stop it close - like 'Lefty'! No. 17: Bunker Shots - no need to fear these any more! No. 18: Putting - tips and drills to end those three-putts No. 19: Awkward Lies - uphill, downhill and sidehill shots No. 20: The Thin or Top - fix this infuriating fault No. 21: The Fat or Duff - cure it and hit the ball clean! No. 22: Plugged Lies - don't give up, get out! No. 23: The Shank - how to cure 'the unmentionable' No. 24: Club Selection - some distance guidelines No. 25: Basic Rules - every golfer should know these No. 26: Course Management - learn to play the percentages For more help, see your PGA pro, or contact: Pachesham Golf Centre, Oaklawn Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BP For all Lesson Enquiries Email: lessons@pacheshamgolf.co.uk Tel: 01372 843453 - Web: www.pacheshamgolf.co.uk Copyright ©Pachesham Golf Centre 2011, reproduced with permission