subject: Don't Underestimate Your Putting Game [print this page] You can be an all-star on the tee, and have an outstanding short game, but if you can't putt, you're wasting your talent.
Don't get me wrong, I completely understand. It's natural to underestimate your putting, because if you acknowledged the importance of that aspect of the game, it would mean you'd have to practice it more, and practicing putting sucks -- at least the way you're used to doing it.
See, there are some new products out there that make putting practice not only more effective, so you can spend less time on it, but actually fun.
First, let's talk about the category of putting aids designed to improve your technique. My favorite product in this category is the Putting Arc, and what I love about it is it's simplicity. One of the biggest misconceptions in putting is that the stroke should be straight. That's simply not natural. In order to keep the face square throughout that motion, you need to involve your wrists and arms and shoulders, all working individually to manipulate the direction of the face. With an elliptical motion, your hands, wrists, arms and shoulders all move in unison -- fewer moving parts means a motion that is easier to master, and easier to reproduce with consistency.
But, we still come back to the issue of how much it sucks to go and retrieve each ball you hit. The Robocup Ball Return Robot changes all that by returning every ball you sink right back to you. It makes for a much more efficient and effective practice session, and I can't overstate it's value. Once you try it, you'll never accept anything less.
