6 Things All Great Putters Do

6 Things all great putters do
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Are you struggling to turn good ball-striking into a great score? To help improve your game on the greens, here are the 6 Things All Great Putters Do

6 Things All Great Putters Do

1 Consistency at address

Every good putter stands to the ball in the same way, every single time. This is because a good putting stroke needs to repeat and as with the long game, the foundations are established at address. Set your feet shoulder width apart and parallel to your start line, let your arms hang naturally down from your shoulders and place the ball a fraction forward of centre in your stance. Standing the correct distance from the ball will make a huge difference to how well you are aligned. That's why it is important to practice these pointers and then practice them again so that your eyes are in the same position over the ball every time.

REVEALED: PING Sigma 2 Putters

6 Things All Great Putters Do

A recent study has show that 8 out of 10 golfers are using a putter that is the wrong length. That's why the new Sigma 2 range of putters from PING feature a new, intuitive adjustable length shaft. Every putter in the range can be adjusted from 32 to 36 inches. This will ensure your eyes are in the correct position consistently at address - a crucial ingredient to better putting.

2 A solid base

One of the 6 things all great putters do is to keep the body extremely still. Your body needs to act like an anchor, providing a strong centre for your arms to swing from. Those players who have a tendency to sway will always struggle with inconsistent strikes and unpredictable distance control. A great way to think of this is to concentrate on keeping your head as still as possible at address. To help, mark a dot on your ball and focus on that. Feel your eyes locking onto that spot and make a normal stroke (keep your head down for a second after you’ve struck the ball). Alternatively, you can try the coin drill. This will really help to keep your head still and maintain a reliable, repeatable stroke.

3 Soft grip pressure

For many golfers, putting is the most tense part of the game. With the results so immediately quantifiable, players often find themselves gripping the putter too tightly in a bid to exert more control over the head. However, a good putting stroke flows. For this, you need a soft grip pressure. No matter which style of grip you chose to adopt (there are a host of different techniques to try), hold the putter with a 3/10 pressure. Not only will this help the putter flow but it will help maximise your natural feel. Try reducing your grip pressure and you should notice an immediate improvement in your distance control.

6 Things All Great Putters Do

PING’s Sigma 2 putters feature a dual face insert. The front layer is extremely soft to provide that deft touch we all want but the back layer is firmer to provide a more solid contact to improve your consistency on longer range putts. This combination should make for a more balanced feel to help on all putts.

4 Flow & Release

As we have already mentioned, a good putting stroke needs to flow. In relation to this you will often hear coaches and players talk about ‘releasing’ the putter. This refers to the way the putter moves through impact, rotating so the toe turns towards the target slightly. Of course, the amount of release you have will largely depend on the natural arc of your stroke (explained below in part 5) but it is always worth remembering that the best putters let the blade flow through the ball. If you decelerate into impact, jabbing at the ball you’ll struggle with accuracy and distance control.

Putter Review: PING Sigma 2 Range

6 Things all great putters do

Lee Westwood recently put the Fetch model from the PING Sigma 2 range into play and promptly won the Nedbank Golf Challenge. This face-balanced putter is designed to offer maximum stability through impact for better close range performance. The circular head design also enables you pick the ball out of the hole without bending over!

5 Know your stroke

There are three different types of putting stroke – straight, slight arc and strong arc. There is no right and wrong here, as much will depend on your physique and the way you stand to the ball. However, your choice of putter should be dictated by how your stroke works. Certain putters are designed to help those with arcing strokes to square the blade more effectively at impact while those with a straight stroke will benefit from a more face balance model. Matching your putter to your stroke is a must and if you’re unsure, our advice would be to seek out some guidance from a PGA professional.

6 Things All Great Putters Do

There are 10 models in the PING Sigma 2 range, offering a variety of options that have been optimised for all three stroke types. From traditional designs to larger mallet heads with strong visuals, they all have a clean, premium look and feel.

6 Centre the strike

When making a relatively small stroke, every golfer should be able to strike the ball from the centre of the clubface. However, it is amazing how sloppy many amateur golfers are with their striking. Just as with the other clubs in your bag, off centre contacts will not carry the same speed as centred ones. There is some excellent technology out there to help you on this front, such as PING’s TR grooves, but consistently striking the ball from the middle of the face is certainly one of the 6 things all great putters do. Use a couple of tees to create a gate around your putter head and practice swinging the putter freely through. This will help improve your contacts and ultimately your distance control.

6 Things All Great Putters Do

The Sigma 2 range is the latest to feature the brand’s patented TR grooves. Deeper in the centre than at the periphery, they are designed to forgive those mishits and create a greater level of consistency from long range. With the adjustable shaft that's on offer in the PING Sigma 2 range helping you to stand the correct distance from the ball, you should also notice how the quality of your strikes on the green improve.

Becoming a good putter requires a deft feel and a solid fundamental technique. Unfortunately, this will require time spent on the practice putting green. However, if you can adopt these 6 things great all putters do, you should be able to accelerate your improvement. Good luck!

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