Golfers are often taught that it is bad to use any hand action when putting. They are told to swing the putter head back and forth with the large muscles of the chest and shoulders. The problem is if you move the putter with just your shoulders, you’re not creating a lot of energy in the back to put into the putter head for impact. You have to build this energy, which often leads to a jerky shot without much rhythm.
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JD Cuban
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JD Cuban
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I’ve had the chance to watch Tiger Woods on the practice green at many PGA Tour events over the years. I think his favorite putting exercise is placing the tees just outside the toe and heel of the putter head and making strokes through the tees using only his right hand. Sometimes he places his left hand on his left thigh; other times he will place it just above his right elbow.
Using this drill, you can feel the weight of the putter head as you swing it back. You let the putter head swing and load behind the shaft, which is represented by the tee I glued to the end of the grip in the photos. above. When you load the putter this way, you will have an easier time rotating and releasing the putter face as it passes through. Release occurs when the putter head aligns with the grip and the face straightens again.
“Swing” might be the key word here. The putter head cannot swing when you are using only your shoulders to propel the stroke. Copy one of the best putters of all time and learn how to properly load the putter and use your hands. Your control over distance and direction will definitely improve.
Todd Anderson, one of Golf Digest’s golf teaching legends, is the Director of Instruction at the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
