3
High side
Amateurs typically
underborrow on
breaking putts, but here
is a drill that addresses
it. Gather five balls. Find
a curving putt on the
practice green – it could
be any length, from 5ft to
50ft. Your simple mission
is to ensure every putt
either drops in the hole
or passes it on the high
side. Make this a regular
part of your practice and
you will improve your
pace ... and start to see
more putts dropping in.I
Belly putting
One of the reasons
belly putters worked
so well was because
they promoted the
correct release of the
putterhead. With the
grip anchored in the
stomach, the head was
free to release past the
handle in true pendulum
style; contrast that with
a stroke where the
handle moves forward
with the head, denying
it the ideal acceleration
and rotation.4
Black mark
Get yourself a ball
marker and draw a
strong black line around
the middle of the ball. Set
the ball on the turf so the
line is vertical.TRAIN
THE FEEL
Of course anchoring is now
illegal, but you can gain the same
feel for the release by pushing the
butt of your regular-length putter into
your stomach and gripping on the
metal. Swing back and through. Feel
how, with the butt anchored, the
head releases freely past
the hands.D
DRILLS FOR
PURE PUTTING
Five go-to exercises that have
stood the test of time
BY GARETH JOHNSTON
A Z OF PUTTING