Putt Your Way to Lower Golf Scores This Spring

Spring is here and golf season is in full swing. The driving range is a great way to work on longer shots, but any expert will tell you a majority of shots are lost to par within 20-feet of the target. That’s right: your putt is the key to unlocking lower scores on the greens. Golfers trust our artificial grass more than any other Los Angeles brand to improve their scores because they know it works.

Read Low
There is a lot of debate over whether golfers should read putts from behind the ball or the hole. There is one easy way to determine how to read your putt:  always read from the low side. If your putt is downhill, read from behind the hole. Similarly if your putt is uphill, read from behind the ball. This is how professionals gauge the angle of their shot

Arm Strength
Professional golfers use both arms in conjunction to form the perfect stroke. The power comes from your dominant hand while your other arm guides the club. You need to build up both arms for the perfect putt. Test your arm strength and accuracy by creating a target roughly 20-feet away. Putt one ball toward the target with both hands on the putter. Your next shot should be left arm-only, followed by a right arm-only shot. All three balls should go just beyond your target, and all of them should be relatively aligned, even if they didn’t all go to the exact same spot. If you notice that one ball did not go as far as the others, it likely means one arm is weaker than the other. You’ll want to work on this before hitting the links again.

Look to the Horizon
Identifying the tilt of the turf is one of the trickiest parts of sinking a putt. Some players choose to just “eyeball” it, but that leaves most people reading the greens inaccurately – and their scores suffer for it. Professional golfers recommend finding a horizontal standard somewhere to give you a better idea of what “flat” really is. The eaves of a house, a body of water or even a bench can serve as your basis for horizontal ground. Compare the terrain as best as you can and adjust your shot accordingly.

Don’t Hit the Ball
We know it sounds counterintuitive, but hitting the ball with an upward motion actually causes it to hop, which is exactly what you don’t want to sink a putt. Keep an open stance in which you favor your left side and lean the putter shaft toward your target. This helps you feel your left hand go down the target line so you can improve the accuracy of your putt. Keep the putter head low. Your club will naturally rise slightly with your swing, but that is normal. This smooth posture and swing should result in a natural ball roll that sinks right in.

Are you ready to sink the putt  every time? Practice makes perfect! Professional golfers know the easiest way to fit practice into your routine is to make it convenient. A backyard putting green or portable putting mat is the best way to keep your game close at all times. Practice your stroke as soon as you learn new techniques and lock in your practice so you can take your skill directly to the golf course. Claim your free consultation today and learn more about what Turf Now!® L.A. can do for your golf game.