More than 40 percent of your golf shots are performed on the green. It therefore becomes essential to play well with your putter in order to minimize the consequence of a bad hole or to succeed when presented with a rewarding opportunity for a birdie. To get there, many factors have to be considered. I would suggest starting with the following three basic elements which have to be respected in order for your motion to be effective: alignment of the putter head, quality of impact, and direction of the ball.

Alignment of the putter head:  I watch – and regularly film — my clients on the green and to their astonishment, they often notice their putter is not even aligned towards the chosen target. An alignment test is required to eliminate this frequent, common mistake. With the help of another person, have fun aiming at different targets while your friend / coach stands behind you (see photo) in order to confirm that your putter is effectively aligned towards the target. If you have difficulty successfully aligning your putter, I would suggest that you change the model, or at least use a reference on the ball (a line, for example) to help you.

Quality of impact: The control of your speed represents the most important element on the green. In order to reach a reasonable level of consistency with your speed, it is imperative that the point of impact of the putter on the ball be consistently located in the centre of your putter (sweet spot). Especially on the long distance shots, too much attention is focused on the line, whereas it is more important to simply hit the ball well so it can stop at the level of the hole.

Direction of the ball: Sometimes a ball hit with a well-aligned putter does not roll in the intended direction of the target.  Is it a problem related to the face of the putter, or the stroke plane? You need to understand here that there are many ways to execute a putting stroke based on the design of the club. Some putters require an almost linear movement with very little rotation of the putter face, and others require a stronger arc with a more active club head. Consult a golf professional to ensure you understand this concept and to confirm that your putter corresponds well to your needs.

I suggest an exercise (see photo) that will help you develop an effective movement that takes care of your quality of impactand direction of the ball. Place your putter head on the ground, placing a tee on each side approximately ¼ inch from the club. Then position your ball about 12 inches in front of your putter, in line with the hole, placing a tee similarly on each side of the ball, a ¼ inch from the ball.

When you’re ready, place your putter between the first two tees and the ball just in front on a 25-cent piece. Make your swing, hitting the ball without touching the tees and the coin (quality of impact), verifying that the ball goes through the second set of tees (direction of the ball) towards the hole.

By the same author: Bunker shots: common faults (Click the image below)