(Part 1)

When working with students to improve their putting, I have them fraction their focus. I break putting into two basic elements: distance and direction. Let’s talk direction, which encompasses two major compo­nents–clubface position and path. Both are critical to success.

Clubface position at impact has everything to do with how your ball begins its trek to the hole. After deciding on your tar­get line, you hope to contact the ball squarely in order to start it traveling on the intended line without any un­planned sidespin affecting its roll.

Path is fairly simple to under­stand; however, the correct path isn’t always easy to recog­nize if bad habits have long been a part of your routine. Remember that setup conditions can, and often do, greatly affect your path. For example, if you set up somewhat away from the ball with your hands and eyes significant­ly inside the intended path, you’re likely to swing the putter head in an arching manner. Conversely, if you set up closer to the ball with your eyes over the intended path, you’re more likely to execute your putt with a more straight-back, straight-through pendulum type stroke. Your setup can indeed affect path.

I encourage students first and foremost not to change their style because styles reflect and define per­sonal preferences. Instead, I want stu­dents to understand their style clear­ly, then decide whether a change is needed based on the relative success of their stroke.

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