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A Golfer's Resolution

© Bill Howard

It's that time of year, the New Year is fast approaching. Soon you will be surrounded with people resolving to do this or that in the New Millennium. Some of these resolutions will be lifestyle and attitude changes. The majority of these resolutions will die a quick and painless death. Some will endure well into the New Year. I'd like to suggest a "Golfer's Resolution" if I may. In the year 2000, resolve to focus attention on your putting. Assess it objectively, practice it, improve it, think about it, perhaps even change the way you do it.

The true beauty of this resolution is that it will cost you nothing and you will shoot lower numbers. What's holding back your effort to lower your scores is NOT your lack of distance off the tee. Golfers are willing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars in an effort to pick up a few measly yards on their drives. For the most part, this effort is misdirected. If you are helpless on the putting green, long drives are good for absolutely nothing. No one cares to hear you describe your booming tee shots. Golf is about the number that you turn in. All good players are good putters. Some good players are long.

The first step in making this resolution pay off is an objective look at the way you putt. Does the ball skid or bounce right off the putter face? Do you leave longer putts way short and occasionally drill them well past the hole? These are both signs of serious flaws in your putting stroke. If you're unsure, take a few balls and a half hour of your time and hit the putting green. It won't take very long to figure out.

If there seems to be a problem, fix it. Stand on the putting green until the ball rolls and distance is consistent. This is most quickly accomplished hitting long putts. No concept or thought is "wrong" if it gets you hitting solid putts. Experiment, be bold, changing things just a little rarely produces meaningful change.

I'll offer two suggestions and a terrific drill to help out. First, remember that the putter MUST accelerate through the ball. Second, it's a STROKE, not a hit. The best drill I've ever used is putting with just your right hand on the putter (left hand for those of you who play left-handed). Station yourself 25 - 30 feet from the hole and roll the ball putting one - handed. It's a struggle at first. This drill will expose flaws. Any wristiness or

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