Mel Sole helps you learn to practice your putting at home

By Mel Sole,
Contributor

Noted golf instructor and columnist, Mel Sole offers golf tips for GolfInstruction.com readers on all aspects of the game.

As we head into the colder months, and we leave thoughts of playing golf again till the spring, there is now a great opportunity for those of you who live in the colder climates, and those of you who get home from work too late to slip down to the course for a little practice, to work on that putting stroke, and improve it once and for all. Non of us want to make a change to our putting stroke during the season just in case it ruins rather that improves our score. However, we now have several months to perfect the stroke without worrying about score, only the correct stroke.

In picture #1 I have set up two 3x2x4" boards, standing them on the 2" side so that I have a high wall on either side. The width is determined by the width of you putter. Leave only a very small margin of error on each side. The cup is set up approx. 10 feet away (you do not want to practice longer putts, as this will effect your feel for long putts next spring).

In picture #2 I am making sure that my eyes are directly over the ball by holding the putter on the bridge of my nose and making sure the shaft falls directly over the ball.

Goals:

1. To get the putter head moving between the boards without touching

2. To finish the stroke with the putter face still at 90 degrees to your intended line, as in picture #3

and not with the toe out in front of the hell as in Picture #4

3. To set yourself a target of holing at least 50 in a row. This will build the self-confidence in your subconscious to make it believe that you cannot miss from that range.

Work on this and the chipping drill I will give next month, and your short game should be sharper than it has ever been come next spring. Good Luck!!

August 23, 2006

Mel Sole is Director of Instruction and owner of the Ritson-Sole Golf Schools. He has been named a "Top Teacher in North America" by Golf Magazine and is one of only four top teachers selected in South Carolina. His lessons have also appeared in Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and Golf Illustrated.