Over the years I have shocked more than a few of my students during putting lessons by simply showing them that their putts are rolling where their putter face is ‘actually’ pointed… and not where they ‘think’ it is pointed. Short game guru Dave Pelz did the testing and crunched the numbers years ago and it is still true that the putter face angle is five times more important in determining where your putts start traveling than where your stroke is headed. A great putting stroke headed right down the target line through the ball is still not going to sink the putt if the face is looking elsewhere. This means that it is critical that we learn how to properly square the face to the target. There are numerous putting aids on the market including high tech devices incorporating laser beams, wonderful apps for your smart phones, strings and mirrors, etc. but give this tip a try when you are practicing your putts on the front room carpet or at the office. Grab a sheet of lined paper and pen and trace a section of the red margin, and one of the lines near the center of the page. Set the piece of paper down on the floor with the traced line in the center of the page pointed right at your intended target and use the traced section of the margin line to square the face of your putter to the target. Roll some putts by setting the ball on the traced target line and really focus on squaring the face properly before you make your stroke. You should get into the habit in your pre-shot routine of committing the face to the target… then putting your body in position perpendicular to the face. When you are making your putts keep your eyes focused on the traced margin line that is indicating a square face to the target and don’t be surprised to sink a lot more of your putts. Now try a few without the sheet as a guide and see if it looks a little different than what you were used to. Some of you will be a bit surprised to see what a truly ‘square’ putter face looks like when you get ready to make a stroke.
Dave Lengyel
Leave a Reply