How to Stop the 3-Putts
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2019-03-23
All images courtesy Lisa Vlooswyk
By LISA VLOOSWYK
A common misconception in putting is the notion of hitting a putt “too hard” or “too soft”. I often hear players say when they hit it 5 feet past the cup, “oh man, I hit it too hard”.
That is a terrible swing thought. If you are thinking about the strength, or lack of strength, in your putting stroke, it is not measurable.
For instance, that ball that rolled 5 feet past the cup, if you hit it “too hard”, now you have to hit it a little “softer”. If you come 2 feet short of the cup, you were “too soft”and need to be a “little harder”, but not “as hard” as your first putt. Can you see how this is confusing and hard to regulate?
Your new swing thought needs to be focused on a longer stroke or a shorter stroke. That is measurable. If you are 5 feet past the cup you need to think “darn it, my stoke was too long.” If you are short of the cup, your stroke was too short.
The key to this new swing thought is that you need to have a pendulum-like swing. I love thinking the words “tick-tock” as I make my takeaway and follow-through. It should be the same speed back and through the stroke. Your follow-through NEEDS to be at least as long as your takeaway. Too many golfers stab at their putts and don’t have a good follow-through.
To work on this new swing thought try seeing how far your putt rolls when you take your putter from the inside of your back foot to the inside of your front foot. Then try outside of foot to outside of foot. It starts to give you some benchmarks.
Try Seeing How Far Your Putt Rolls When You Take Your Putter From The 'Inside Of Your Back Foot' To The 'Inside Of Your Front Foot'
Then Try 'Outside-Of-Foot' To 'Outside-Of-Foot'
Try these tips and say good bye to 3-putts!
Lisa “Longball” Vlooswyk is an 8-time Canadian Long Drive Champion for Women. She is a Keynote Speaker, Golf Journalist and Golf Entertainer. She runs Golf Schools for Women in Canada and the USA and has her own Instructional Video. Lisa can be reached through her website www.lisalongball.com or through Twitter @LisaLongball