The Putting Myth That's Harming Your One-Putt Potential
Putting expert James Jankowski explains why golfers fall foul of a common misconception regarding how the putter moves and shares what you should do instead
Some people believe that playing with a low number on your golf ball brings luck or if you tap the inside of the cup with the ball after a good putt that run will continue - but let's face it... these are nonsensical myths.
Those particular examples are fairly harmless, but one particular putting myth is actually costing you shots on the green - and that can't continue if you want to improve!
Putting is an often neglected art in the amateur game, which is a travesty when you consider that tools like our ultimate putting improvement guide can help you shoot lower scores and cut your handicap by shaving shots off the card on the green.
James Jankowksi, a putting expert who has helped over 3000 golfers to sharpen up on the greens, believes that a common misconception around how the putter moves is the cause of great pain for amateur golfers.
Below, James busts the myth and shares his expert advice on how you can putt better for the remainder of the season...
The Putting Myth That's Harming Your One-Putt Potential
First, you need to understand how the putter moves.
At address, the shaft sits on an inclined plane, so the putter swings naturally on an arc, and the face gradually opens during the backstroke.
A common mistake is trying to keep the face square to the target, or simply not allowing it to open enough.
If you lowered the putter back down to ground level here, the face would be pointing left, leading to a pulled putt
Relative to the putter's natural arc, this means the face is now effectively shut.
Viewing it on a horizontal plane shows that it really is actually shut, indicating the amount of rotation, and therefore timing, needed to return it to square.
If you don't, you will pull the putt. If you do, you've introduced a timing element that can just as easily lead to you pushing it.
Overcompensating can equally lead to a pushed putt
Pulled putts often stem from having to create speed too near impact. A good stroke relies on timing.
If the backstroke is too slow and short, you have to accelerate late into the ball.
Too short a backstroke, as here, means accelerating into the ball to create speed, which will lead to timing issues at impact
The later you create speed, the harder it is to time the stroke.
Some golfers tilt (push) or rotate (pull) excessively at impact; others stall the handle and flip the putter head (pull) or drive the handle (push).
When you have to create speed this way, your timing suffers
Many golfers are told to hit up on the ball to create topspin but that's not why we want a slight upward angle of attack.
At address, the ball's equator sits around 6-8mm above the putter's sweet spot, so a slight upward strike simply helps return the centre of the face to the equator.
It's a strike function, not a topspin function.
The shoulder tilt in a conventional putting grip helps to promote an upward strike
With a conventional putting grip, a small amount of shoulder tilt at address naturally encourages an upward strike.
Those who consciously try to create topspin often manipulate the putter, introducing another timing element.
Get it right and you'll get away with it; get it wrong and the face or path won't return consistently, leading to pushes and pulls.
