Get the ‘Feel’ Back in your Putter
With the start of another season just around the corner, it is time to get reacquainted with your putting stroke. If you haven’t already pulled your putter and some balls out to do some practice on the living room carpet… its time! When you first put the ‘flat stick’ back into your hands after a long winter break it might feel like a stranger so the first thing you want to do is get the ‘feel’ back into your stroke. When you get yourself into a good putting position and are ready to stroke a putt… close your eyes and focus on how the putter feels as you swing it and what the ball feels like coming off the face at impact. Don’t worry about hitting any targets or practice cups just yet, but instead with your eyes closed focus on the tempo and size of the stroke to hit the putt a certain distance. After several practice putts removing the visual aspects of your stroke and focusing on the feel, rhythm and tempo, go ahead and try a few with your eyes open and see how much smoother your stroke is. If the sight of the ball still causes your putter head to move about violently close your eyes again and continue to practice until your stroke is as smooth with your eyes open as with them shut.
See you soon,
Dave Lengyel
