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Breaking
                                              YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE
                                              TO THE SCORING BASICS




                          1009080
>> For more Breaking 100-90-80 articles
visit GolfDigest.com/instruction

                                                                      By Todd Sones
                                                                      with Peter McCleery
                                                                      Todd Sones owns and
                                                                      operates Todd Sones Impact
                                                                      Golf Center at White Deer Golf
                                                                      Club in Vernon Hills, Ill.


       Take aim at great putting
       Making more putts is a matter
       of focusing your efforts in
       the right area. If you’re a
       high-handicapper, start by
       learning the set-up fun-
       damentals that influence
       the stroke. As you advance,
       you need to sharpen your green-
       reading and refine your stroke me-
       chanics to achieve solid contact
       every time. Creating a pre-putt
       routine will help. Better players
       should work on maximizing “feel”
       through pressurized practice and
       target-retention drills. Follow my
       plan and your putting skills will
       soar—and your scores will drop.




    PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS STANFORD • ILLUSTRATIONS BY JIM LUFT                 Golf Digest .com   187
Putting is a simple task. There’s no big shoulder         Don’t move that head                                                       Hand-off drill
                                                                                               Keeping your                    Beat mid-round slumps                      Here’s a simple check


Breaking                             turn, no weight shift, no wrist hinge—just an             head still is                   When your putting goes sour in the         to make sure your




100
                                     easy motion back and through. This puts extra             fundamental                     middle of a round, here’s how to get       arms are hanging
                                                                                               to good                         the ball rolling into the hole. Step off   under your shoulders:
                                     importance on your setup, because in putting              putting. You                    to the side, close your eyes and           Set up and drop your
                                                                                               can practice                    swing your arms the way you do on          back hand off the club,
                                     you never get too far from your starting                  this by taking                  a putt. Is your body balanced at ad-       letting it hang freely. If
                                                                                               your setup                      dress? Does it stay balanced as you        your posture is good,
                                     position. Mastering a few basic set-up                    with the top of                 make the stroke? This is a great way       your hand will stay in
                                     fundamentals might be the easiest way to take             your head against               to check your setup and tempo and          line with the grip, not
                                                                                               a wall, then hitting            get your putting back on track.            move away from or
                                     those 100-plus rounds down into the 90s.                  some putts.                                                                toward your body.




                                           Finger grip




                                        Grip it in your palm                                                                                                    Preparation is everything
                                        Don’t grip the putter in your fingers (above), as                                                                       Making putts depends so much on
  Palm grip                             you do in the full swing. This type of grip pro-                                                                        your setup, since errors at address lead
                                        motes wrist hinge, which you don’t want when                                                                            directly to errors in the stroke. Tilt for-
                                        you putt. Set the grip through the palm of your                                                                         ward from your hips and let your arms
                                        left hand, with the butt end at the inside of your                                                                      hang, so they can swing freely. For
                                        wrist (left). There are a lot of acceptable putting                                                                     most golfers, ball position should be
                                        grips, from the traditional reverse-overlap to left-                                                                    slightly ahead of center. The shaft
                                        hand-low to the modern “claw” grip used by a                                                                            should be perpendicular to the ground,
                                        few tour players, including Chris DiMarco. But                                                                          with the grip pointing just forward of
                                        the common denominator in all effective styles is                                                                       your sternum. Stand so you feel
                                        gripping in the palm of the top hand.                                                                                   stacked, your hips over your heels and
                                                                                                                                                                your weight on the middle of each foot.



188   Golf Digest.com OCTOBER 2005                                                             SPOT ILLUSTRATION BY SAM WARD                                                 OCTOBER 2005         Golf Digest.com   189
Once you’re consistently shooting in the 90s,        How low can you go?                                                                         Be a gatecrasher
                                                                                                                                                         Building an arc

Breaking
                                                                                                      To feel a low, level stroke, tie a 15-foot piece                                            Set up two tees into a “gate” six inches in
                                                 you’ve played enough golf to start thinking          of string to two pencils, stick one in the         Some players insist that the putter-     front of the ball. Make it wide enough for the




        90
                                                 about developing feel. Putting feel is an acquired   ground behind the cup, then stretch the            head swings straight back and            ball but not the putterhead.
                                                                                                      string and plant the other one as shown. Hit       through, but we know it moves on         Putt between them. Y    our
                                                 skill. Y brain needs to learn how the length of
                                                         our                                          putts keeping the putter under the string.         an arc (below). What gives? These        putter will crash into the
                                                                                                                                                         players are more in tune with the feel   tees, so you’ll learn
                                                 your stroke relates to distance. This starts with                                                       of how their hands are moving (in a      to make a short
                                                                                                                                                         straight line) than how the putter-      through-
                                                 consistently making solid contact with the                                                              head is moving (on an arc). This is      stroke,
                                                 ball—a result of good fundamentals. Let’s look                                                          fine with me, because watching the       which
                                                                                                                                                         putterhead is a distraction.             promotes
                                                 at the basic stroke motion.                                                                                                                      acceleration.




Swing longer, not faster                                                                              Mark your putting arc
The length of your stroke should change                                                               The putterhead travels in a slight arc
based on the distance to the hole, but your                                                           because you stand to the side of the
tempo should stay the same. Strive for                                                                ball with the shaft angled toward your
smooth acceleration through impact. To hit                                                            body. If your arms hang freely from your
putts of different lengths, many golfers alter                                                        shoulders at address and swing back
their tempo instead of the length of the                                                              and through during the stroke, the
stroke. Notice here how my backstroke                                                                 putterhead automatically moves on the
changes for 10-, 20- and 30-foot putts.                                                               correct arc. Focus on swinging your
Focus on swinging back and through the                                                                hands and let the angle of the shaft take
same amount, lengthening your stroke as                                                               care of the path.
the putts get longer.




190   Golf Digest.com OCTOBER 2005                                                                    SPOT ILLUSTRATION BY SAM WARD                                                                OCTOBER 2005         Golf Digest.com     191
Players approaching the 70s often start                                                                                                          Find the breaking point
                                                                                                                                                        That hole in your head                    On long breakers, try to identify the apex


Breaking                                         making the game too complicated.                                                                       Great putters have a keen feel for the    of the break, or break point,




       80
                                                 Remember, putting is a simple task; don’t get                                                          putterhead contacting the ball. To de-    and estimate the slope
                                                                                                                                                        velop your feel, set up to a putt, then   from there to the
                                                 in your own way. If you’re shooting in the low                                                         look at the hole and take a snapshot      cup. With your eyes,
                                                                                                        Narrow your focus                               of it in your mind. Return to the ball,   trace the line from
                                                 to mid-80s, you’re already a skilled player, so        Practice short putts with a scorecard over      close your eyes, and hit the putt with    the ball to the hole,
                                                                                                        a third of the hole to learn to zero in on an   the target fresh in your mind. Practic-   passing through that
                                                 trust your instincts. Consistent execution is          entry point. Cover the part of the cup that     ing with your eyes closed will help       point. Don’t
                                                 the key for you, and the best way to ensure            represents the low side. For example, on        you connect the feel of impact with       just look
                                                                                                        right-to-left putts, set the scorecard over     the distance the ball rolls.              up at the
                                                 that is to adopt a simple pre-putt routine.            the left third of the hole.                                                               hole.




1
Define the line (5 seconds)
Your first read is usually best, so resist the
urge to look at three different angles. If you
                                                    2 Practice like real (5 seconds)
                                                      Take a practice stroke parallel to your line to
                                                      get a feel for the stroke you’ll need to reach
                                                                                                        3
                                                                                                        Commit to the plan (5 seconds)
                                                                                                        Aim the putterface down your intended line
                                                                                                        and settle your feet under your hips, so that
                                                                                                                                                                            4  Putt without delay (3 seconds)
                                                                                                                                                                               Don’t just stand over the ball doing nothing.
                                                                                                                                                                               It’s the worst thing you can do, because it
need a second look, try the low side. In time         the hole. Square the face as you would on an      you’re balanced and your arms hang freely                              introduces muscle tension and negative
you’ll see that reading the break from behind         actual putt, and make a true rehearsal stroke.    under your shoulders. Trace the path of the                            thinking. Plus, the longer you wait, the weaker
the ball almost always gives you all you need.        Then slide the putter behind the ball.            putt to the hole with your eyes.                                       the image of the hole is in your mind’s eye.

192   Golf Digest.com OCTOBER 2005                                                                      SPOT ILLUSTRATION BY SAM WARD                                                              OCTOBER 2005        Golf Digest.com   193

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Taking aim at great putting breaking 100-90_80

  • 1. Breaking YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO THE SCORING BASICS 1009080 >> For more Breaking 100-90-80 articles visit GolfDigest.com/instruction By Todd Sones with Peter McCleery Todd Sones owns and operates Todd Sones Impact Golf Center at White Deer Golf Club in Vernon Hills, Ill. Take aim at great putting Making more putts is a matter of focusing your efforts in the right area. If you’re a high-handicapper, start by learning the set-up fun- damentals that influence the stroke. As you advance, you need to sharpen your green- reading and refine your stroke me- chanics to achieve solid contact every time. Creating a pre-putt routine will help. Better players should work on maximizing “feel” through pressurized practice and target-retention drills. Follow my plan and your putting skills will soar—and your scores will drop. PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS STANFORD • ILLUSTRATIONS BY JIM LUFT Golf Digest .com 187
  • 2. Putting is a simple task. There’s no big shoulder Don’t move that head Hand-off drill Keeping your Beat mid-round slumps Here’s a simple check Breaking turn, no weight shift, no wrist hinge—just an head still is When your putting goes sour in the to make sure your 100 easy motion back and through. This puts extra fundamental middle of a round, here’s how to get arms are hanging to good the ball rolling into the hole. Step off under your shoulders: importance on your setup, because in putting putting. You to the side, close your eyes and Set up and drop your can practice swing your arms the way you do on back hand off the club, you never get too far from your starting this by taking a putt. Is your body balanced at ad- letting it hang freely. If your setup dress? Does it stay balanced as you your posture is good, position. Mastering a few basic set-up with the top of make the stroke? This is a great way your hand will stay in fundamentals might be the easiest way to take your head against to check your setup and tempo and line with the grip, not a wall, then hitting get your putting back on track. move away from or those 100-plus rounds down into the 90s. some putts. toward your body. Finger grip Grip it in your palm Preparation is everything Don’t grip the putter in your fingers (above), as Making putts depends so much on Palm grip you do in the full swing. This type of grip pro- your setup, since errors at address lead motes wrist hinge, which you don’t want when directly to errors in the stroke. Tilt for- you putt. Set the grip through the palm of your ward from your hips and let your arms left hand, with the butt end at the inside of your hang, so they can swing freely. For wrist (left). There are a lot of acceptable putting most golfers, ball position should be grips, from the traditional reverse-overlap to left- slightly ahead of center. The shaft hand-low to the modern “claw” grip used by a should be perpendicular to the ground, few tour players, including Chris DiMarco. But with the grip pointing just forward of the common denominator in all effective styles is your sternum. Stand so you feel gripping in the palm of the top hand. stacked, your hips over your heels and your weight on the middle of each foot. 188 Golf Digest.com OCTOBER 2005 SPOT ILLUSTRATION BY SAM WARD OCTOBER 2005 Golf Digest.com 189
  • 3. Once you’re consistently shooting in the 90s, How low can you go? Be a gatecrasher Building an arc Breaking To feel a low, level stroke, tie a 15-foot piece Set up two tees into a “gate” six inches in you’ve played enough golf to start thinking of string to two pencils, stick one in the Some players insist that the putter- front of the ball. Make it wide enough for the 90 about developing feel. Putting feel is an acquired ground behind the cup, then stretch the head swings straight back and ball but not the putterhead. string and plant the other one as shown. Hit through, but we know it moves on Putt between them. Y our skill. Y brain needs to learn how the length of our putts keeping the putter under the string. an arc (below). What gives? These putter will crash into the players are more in tune with the feel tees, so you’ll learn your stroke relates to distance. This starts with of how their hands are moving (in a to make a short straight line) than how the putter- through- consistently making solid contact with the head is moving (on an arc). This is stroke, ball—a result of good fundamentals. Let’s look fine with me, because watching the which putterhead is a distraction. promotes at the basic stroke motion. acceleration. Swing longer, not faster Mark your putting arc The length of your stroke should change The putterhead travels in a slight arc based on the distance to the hole, but your because you stand to the side of the tempo should stay the same. Strive for ball with the shaft angled toward your smooth acceleration through impact. To hit body. If your arms hang freely from your putts of different lengths, many golfers alter shoulders at address and swing back their tempo instead of the length of the and through during the stroke, the stroke. Notice here how my backstroke putterhead automatically moves on the changes for 10-, 20- and 30-foot putts. correct arc. Focus on swinging your Focus on swinging back and through the hands and let the angle of the shaft take same amount, lengthening your stroke as care of the path. the putts get longer. 190 Golf Digest.com OCTOBER 2005 SPOT ILLUSTRATION BY SAM WARD OCTOBER 2005 Golf Digest.com 191
  • 4. Players approaching the 70s often start Find the breaking point That hole in your head On long breakers, try to identify the apex Breaking making the game too complicated. Great putters have a keen feel for the of the break, or break point, 80 Remember, putting is a simple task; don’t get putterhead contacting the ball. To de- and estimate the slope velop your feel, set up to a putt, then from there to the in your own way. If you’re shooting in the low look at the hole and take a snapshot cup. With your eyes, Narrow your focus of it in your mind. Return to the ball, trace the line from to mid-80s, you’re already a skilled player, so Practice short putts with a scorecard over close your eyes, and hit the putt with the ball to the hole, a third of the hole to learn to zero in on an the target fresh in your mind. Practic- passing through that trust your instincts. Consistent execution is entry point. Cover the part of the cup that ing with your eyes closed will help point. Don’t the key for you, and the best way to ensure represents the low side. For example, on you connect the feel of impact with just look right-to-left putts, set the scorecard over the distance the ball rolls. up at the that is to adopt a simple pre-putt routine. the left third of the hole. hole. 1 Define the line (5 seconds) Your first read is usually best, so resist the urge to look at three different angles. If you 2 Practice like real (5 seconds) Take a practice stroke parallel to your line to get a feel for the stroke you’ll need to reach 3 Commit to the plan (5 seconds) Aim the putterface down your intended line and settle your feet under your hips, so that 4 Putt without delay (3 seconds) Don’t just stand over the ball doing nothing. It’s the worst thing you can do, because it need a second look, try the low side. In time the hole. Square the face as you would on an you’re balanced and your arms hang freely introduces muscle tension and negative you’ll see that reading the break from behind actual putt, and make a true rehearsal stroke. under your shoulders. Trace the path of the thinking. Plus, the longer you wait, the weaker the ball almost always gives you all you need. Then slide the putter behind the ball. putt to the hole with your eyes. the image of the hole is in your mind’s eye. 192 Golf Digest.com OCTOBER 2005 SPOT ILLUSTRATION BY SAM WARD OCTOBER 2005 Golf Digest.com 193