• Introduction
• Optimum Putting Position
• Missed Putts
• Technical Analysis
  -Club, Hand/Grip, Correcting Errors
  -Straight Putts/Borrow
  -Relevant Factors
• Professional Golfers
• Conclusion

Nobody can dispute the importance of Putting and its relevance to good scoring and overall results. Yet very few have addressed the technical aspect of Putting. If any Professional Golfer were more consistent at Putting he/she would win with greater regularity.

I am now going to address the complexities of Putting from a scientific viewpoint, and in such detail as has never been done before. Whilst it may appear to be very technical I'm sure you will have no difficulty in understanding the logic attached to it. The findings are a result of several years of research where a lot of time was spent working with and analysing Professional Golfers.

There is a huge emphasis in the "Tee to Green" area and, to a lesser extent, in the short game, i.e. in and around the Greens. Most of ones practice, energies, thoughts, and psychological planning is concentrated in this area, and it is approached with clinical thoroughness. Nothing is spared financially in providing the hardware to improve the results.

There are great teachers, and instructors, dedicated listeners or pupils, and some achieve great results. In fact the strength of the Professionals Golf is in this area. This is where they excel and find most consistency. Any weaknesses are worked on and are generally corrected. Yet, Putting is the biggest single problem of any Golfer, even for Professionals.

Professionals spend many hours of their fill-in time on tour on the practice Putting Green area, but much of this time is wasted as they just go through the motions. I throw out a challenge from my research. I believe that great results are achieved from instruction and time spent practising on the long and short game, but little is achieved from time spent on Putting practice, because it has never been approached scientifically.

There is a huge psychological barrier to overcome. There will have to be a change of attitude and a new indoctrination, which will give a new understanding as to the importance of Putting to the game of Golf. It is extraordinary when one realises the Teachers and Club Professionals are rarely asked for a Putting lesson.

Golfers have no problem in admitting that they tried to improve their long game, but few want to be seen practising Putting. It is almost as if there is a stigma attached to it. It is belittled and almost frowned upon. The fact is that if you are not able to Putt you shouldn't attempt to play golf -- Putting is so elementary everybody knows how to Putt. It really is an insult to suggest that you are not able to Putt. I apologise, and I am really sorry if I offend you. However, I would appreciate if you could check how you fare out on the average list. The amateurs have a tough task. It is very hard to win when you have only one round to show how good you are. The Professionals have four.

If your were to become a good Putter the improvement in your results would be staggering. There is one certainty! Your result can be improved by a much greater margin from improved Putting than improving any other aspect of your game.

Why is there so little time or thought given to the art of Putting? Psychologically, most golfers fall into the trap of thinking that the game of golf is from "Tee to Green". Golfers go to great lengths to improve their game form "Tee to Green". Lessons are paid for and no expense spare in providing the hardware. Getting from "Tee to Green" is the primary aim, this is the big challenge. Do you judge your standard on this aspect of the game, of it is on your results? Oh yes, the Putting is incidental. If only you could get a few to drop!!

The dignity with which Golfers accept that the results would be different if a few Putts had dropped is unbelievable, yet is happens day after day. Yes, one day the Putting will all come right! The challenge is to educate yourself - beat the psychological barrier and think or address the question of your Putting.

Optimum Putting Position

From the Optimum Position you will hit the perfect Putt.

To be in the Optimum Position you need the following:

A. Eye vertical over the ball
B. Feet in correct position
C. Ball in correct position
D. Positioned correctly over the ball having chosen the correct line (allowing or borrow) square Putter blade to chosen line - always Put in a straight line.
E. Stroke the Putter blade
F. Have full freedom of club movement avoid bulky clothing - use short sleeves if at all possible.

When you execute the perfect Putt your Putter blade will rise and follow the line of the Putt rather than open or close.

When first attempting to find the Optimum Position you may feel uncomfortable, but if you practise this new stance, when at work, waiting in a queue, etc., it will become easier. In fact you will discover that it is your natural and perfectly balanced standing position.

Why should your address position when hitting your irons be so different from your Putting stance? If you were to play your iron shots from your Putting stance can you imagine what would happen. In fact the Optimum Putting position will be close to your iron stance, and with your improved overall balance you will even find an improvement in your iron play.

You will find that because of your new stance and balance you will be much more consistent in your address over the ball. You must address the ball from the same position every time. In fact I found that inconsistency in address over the ball as being the Professional Golfers greatest weakness.

When you have perfect balance there will be very little body movement when turning your head to select the line of your Putt (co-relate to your iron play).

When you have learned to Putt from the Optimum Position you will experience a free flowing rhythmic strike giving you a new found confidence, and you will address each Putt knowing that you have a great chance to hole it. Your mental attitude to Putting will be totally changed. You will have a lovely touch and feel when striking the ball.

With an improved stroke there will be a noticeable improvement in your results. You will find am improvement in judging the face of the ball and a lot of practise should be given to this.

The entire exercise revolves around finding, The Optimum Putting Position.

The Eyes, Ball, Feet positions are all aligned and correct in relation to your chosen line.

Some guidelines to the above plan.

A. Your left heel placed about 1 inch from the perpendicular line.
B. Your heels should be 6 to 8 inches apart, toes 16 inches apart.
C. Your left shoe top should be 7.5 to 9.5 inches from the ball.
D. You should have a clearance of ½" to ¾" from left heel to vertical line

The Putt O Scope Instrument will give you your exact position (this varies from person to person).

The Putt O Scope item is an excellent Putting instrument.
You can line up other items and deliberately take them off line, contrary to instructions, which proves that they are not fool proof. This you cannot do with the Putt O Scope.

You should practice with a chalk line starting on a straight Putt then, experiment with borrow, determine your chosen line, and practice with the speed of the ball to allow for borrow as you now have a longer Putt to compensate for the borrow.

Missed Putts

There are 8 REASONS why a Putt can be missed.
(Explained in diagrams)

A. When your eye is not over the ball.
1. Eye is short of the ball
2. Eye is past the ball

B Ball position in relation to your stance
3. Too close to your feet, left of target, blade closed.
4. Too far out from your feet, right of target, blade opened.
5. Too far left from your feet, left of target, blade closed.
6. Too far right from your feet, right of target, blade opened.

C. Feet Position
7. When Putting off your left foot you will be left of target(closed blade at point of impact)
8. When Putting off your right foot you will be right of target (open blade at point of impact)

If one of the above will come in to play you will probably miss the Putt.
If any two come in to play you will almost certainly miss the Putt.
If any three come in to play and you are outside 20 feet you are looking at a three Putt. Intercompensatory errors occur when more than one error comes into play.

One knows that Puttable Putts are missed with inexplicable regularity and, when you analyse the above list you will soon realise why this is so. It may be that you will come to realise that there is more to Putting than you had thought.

Remember that one has the ability to square a Putter to the correct line to the hole from almost any stance, but if your body stance and alignment is incorrect you can be certain that at that point of impact the Putter will have moved off square.
Explanations and excuses are given as to why Putts are missed but the reality is that very few know why a Putt is missed because if they did it would be corrected and not repeated, but this does not happen.

Putts are missed because the blade is not square to the chosen line at the point of impact.