Which hand leads in putting?
Golf Monthly provide some advice on which hand leads in the putting stroke and Paul Foston has a video drill to help you improve your holing out and become deadly from inside 6 feet.
Which hand leads in putting?
With both on the grip of the club, it’s hard to know which hand leads in putting. Do you pull the club along with the left or push it through with the right? Or is it a combination of both. I believe that your left hand (for right handers, the opposite applies for lefties), is in charge of directing the putter through its stroke.
Your right hand should only play the part of supporting the putter for a smooth stroke. The back of your left hand will mimic the putterface and by controling your left hand you can control the direction of your putts. A good drill to develop this feeling is to practice putting with just your left hand (if you’re right-handed). This will give you a great feel and understanding for the role of the left hand in the putting stroke.
Holing out drill
Sharpening up your short game as much as possible is key to scoring well. Of course, top of this list is holing out from inside six feet. Here’s a great drill to use once you’ve cemented the basics to a good putting stroke.
If you can improve your conversion rate from this range your scores are guaranteed to improve. This round-the-clock drill is a fantastic way to prepare yourself.
Place 12 balls around the hole, four at 4ft away, four at 5ft away and four at 6ft away. The idea is to move round the clock, holing all the four-footers first, then moving on to the five-footers and, finally, back to the six-footers.
As you move round, each putt will have a slightly different, subtle break that you’ll need to read. Run through your usual pre-putt routine for each ball as this will help you feel comfortable when you’re trying to make these for real out on the course.
Try this drill for subtle, breaking putts
2. Think roll, not hit
In order to achieve consistent distance control, it’s essential to roll the ball rather than hit it. One way to help make sure you do this is to:
- take an open stance
- shift your weight slightly left of centre
- have your putter shaft leaning slightly toward the target
3. Use your fingers
You can grip the putter however you like, but make sure it doesn’t affect your left hand’s ability to swing the putter freely.
Also ensure that you grip the club in your fingers. Ideally the shaft should run up the lifeline of your left hand in order to control the club face.
4. Spot the spot
If you stand over the ball for too long before you pull the trigger, it’s easy to let strange thoughts enter your head, causing you to hit a bad putt.
To avoid this, try not even looking at the ball. Instead, try focusing on a spot in front of the ball that’s on your intended target line.