Do You Want to Putt Well?
Get the two or three key fundamentals down and start looking for 30 putts per round!
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Chapter 9 Has It All! Become a Master of Putting!
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
A NEW SERIES - IRON CLAD FUNDAMENTALS
Today, we start a new instructional series for golfers who do not want to waste their time on "noise" such as tips, fads and current swing trends. Instead we will focus on a series of rock bottom golf skill fundamentals that will propel steady and fast improvement in your golf game skills, from swing soundness to shotmaking, to short game play to putting. We will present a fresh lesson every week. So let's get started!
This week's first lesson is correct alignment. Why start with that iron clad fundamental? Because it is the ONE fundamental that is crystal clear and easy to learn and crystal clear to get right every single shot. It is the one fundamental in your golf swing you can exert full 100% control over whatever your skill level may be. And if you do not do it, no matter what your level of skill is, it has disatrous negative effects on your shotmaking. Even the PGA Tour Pros. And not doing so for everyone who plays is not an excuse, because we all can do it. So what is the key rule and how do we insure we do it?
IRON CLAD FUNDAMENTAL NO. 1: NEVER NOT LINE UP PERFECTLY!
The critical need to align correctly at address should be obvious - the clubhead is being slung into the impact zone at impact at over 100 mph, and is,in terms of physics, not different than a balanced tire on an automobile. If it is out of balance, it's bad, really bad. When it is properly aligned, the clubhead heads down the target line as it compresses the ball at impact and it is great - or even wonderful! Friends, It is that simple. And you must have the clubhead at impact be slung into the back of the ball in an aligned state, which is a clubface squarely facing down the target line of the ball, and a downswing path that runs perfectly along the target line. These two physics points are key, and there is no if ands or buts.
So how does that happen or look like? The grip is important for sure to square the clubface at impact, but we are now talking about set up and stance as you address the shot. So how does set up get done correctly to insure a clubpath that is aiken to a well balanced tire traveling at over 100 miles per hour?
The secret is "Railroad Tracks" You should think of the impact swing path as a clubhead traveling along a railroad track that is completely parallel to your stance and your feet on an alighment line that is completely parallel to your swing path as governed by your target. You have to have your feet perfectly parallel to your ball flight pathway. SEE ILLUSTRATION 3.2 IN BREAKTHROUGH IN GOLF (AVAILABLE ON AMAZON).
How does that happen? It happens by your ingraining the habit of setting up fully aligned parallel to the parallel target line and clubhead path, and that is done EVERY SINGLE SHOT YOU EVER HIT ON THE PRACTICE RANGE WITH AN ALIGNMENT STICK ON ONE SIDE OF THE BALL CLOSEST TO YOU AND ONE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BALL. YOU LITERALLY LAY DOWN RAILROAD TRACKS ON EACH SIDE OF YOUR PRACTICE SHOT GOLF BALL. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ALIGNMENT STICKS, THEN USE TWO CLUBS TO PUT DOWN THE RAILROAD TRACKS.
This is not an optional habit. Almost every tour professional lays down at least one alignment stick on the practice tee if not one on each side of the ball. Some even lay down three sticks or clubs, one on the outside ot the ball, one between the ball and your feet and one for your toes. But you have to do at least one to make sure your feet are parallel to the target line indicated by the railroad track, and clubhead path at impact, and you have to do it for EVERY SINGLE PRACTICE SHOT YOU EVER HIT. OTHERWISE, THE HABIT OF PERFECT OR SOLID ALIGNMENT WILL NEVER COME INTO YOUR GOLF GAME. YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO LEAVE THAT ON THE TABLE!
IT IS THE ONE THING AND ONE OF THE VERY FEW THINGS YOU CAN TOTALLY CONTROL IN GOLF - GOLF IS VERY HARD TO CONTROL ONCE YOUR GOLF SWING IS STARTED. BUT YOU CAN ENSURE GREAT ALIGNMENT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. ELIMINATING THE VARIABLE OF FEET AND STANCE MIS-ALIGNMENT BEFORE YOU START YOUR SWING IS HUGE! IT IS THE ONE "MUST DO" FUNDAMENTAL YOU MUST ADOPT AND CAN ADOPT THAT WILL BE JUST AS EFFECTIVE AS WHAT THE PROS DO. THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT THAT
Friday, August 1, 2025
BREAKTHROUGH IN GOLF: LOTTIE WOAD - GREATNESS ON THE VERGE?Many pundits...
BREAKTHROUGH IN GOLF: LOTTIE WOAD - GREATNESS ON THE VERGE?Many pundits...: LOTTIE WOAD - GREATNESS ON THE VERGE? Many pundits are debating how great Lottie Woad will be after winning her pro debut, and now having ...
LOTTIE WOAD - GREATNESS ON THE VERGE?
Many pundits are debating how great Lottie Woad will be after winning her pro debut, and now having both the Irish Open and Scottish Open titles under her belt right out of the gate professionally.
Many are saying she is getting too much attention and could be a flash in the pan.
But the details of her practice routines and work ethic growing up suggests something telling in my view. Her short game is apparently superb, or stellar. That is a key future indicator. Here's my case:
Think of how consistently Lee Trevino got up and down wiht a wedge in his hand. Think about Rory McIlroy as a very young kid chipping the ball into his mother's front loading washing machine for hours at a time. Think of Phil Mickleson growing up with a pitching and putting green in his back yard! Think of Ray Floyd getting up and down from everywhere. Look at how Nellie Korda gets the ball into the hole from around the green. Think about Scottie Scheffler getting up and down for par from knee high weeds at the British Open!
Friends, this is called hard earned, and lifelong short game TALENT!
That hard wired skill is not flash in the pan stuff. But it may very well be THE DETERMINING FACTOR that is a harbinger of golf greatness. There is magic in that skill set. See my post about throwing darts with a wedge and you will understand.
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
The Secret of Scoring: "Throwing Darts with the Wedge"
If you are a competitive golfer who plays tournament golf, I have a very important message for you. One of the secrets of scoring is to learn how to hit your wedges stone close to the hole. I call it "Throwing Darts" because that is how accurate you must be and can be from 100 yards in.
What is "Throwing Darts"? It is taking a wedge from 100 yards in and KNOWING you will get it within 3-4 feet of the cup for a virtual tap in. That is what the pros do day in and day out, and they know how to do it consistently.
Why am I directing this to competitive amateurs? Because the pros already know how to do it, and casual amateurs like me, who have a regular job or career, do not have the time to hone and maintain that skill level. It takes at least 3 times a week with a wedge in your hand. Once learned, it takes 4-6 hours of week for maintenance, so 1.5-2 hours a day three times a week to keep the feel level up. So only serious competitive golfers can benefit.
Why is it so critical? It is fun to learn to bomb it off the tee and drill your irons. But to cut your putting average per round, you have to stick it close to the hole time in and time out. There is no better or more effective way to reduce your putts per round. I have had Tour golfers tell me that and they know what they are talking about.
How do you learn to Throw Darts? There are 5 critical steps:
Step 1: Learn to hit your wedge as straight as frozen rope. How? It is simple. Make sure you have a firm left wrist at impact and make sure you lead the clubhead into impact without the left hand breaking down. It is almost like a block shot. Don't release the club, just hit it firm. That is all you need to do to hit it dead straight every time. It is not any more complicated than that. I add that to hit down on the ball firmly I like to put a little more weight (60%-70%) on my left foot at address to let me deliver the clubhead at a steep angle. I like to dig out a good divot, to get spin on the ball.
Step 2: Hit every wedge shot about as hard as a driver. I mean it. Whether from 20 yards or 100 yards, hit the ball as hard as you can. That way you can never have to worry again about how hard you hit it. The only variable on the distance you hit the wedge is how far you take it back in your backswing. If you only take a choked down wedge back to where your hands are hip high, you can hit it as hard as you can and it will only go 20 yards. But it will be straight and it will have spin - and you don't have to ever worry again about how hard to hit it. And by definition you will accelerate the clubhead thorugh impact.
Step 3: As indicated above, hit it shorter or longer by only two adjustments: How much you choke down on the grip and how far you take it back.
Step 4: This may be the most important step of all. Hit the ball with every increasing lenghth of backswing with a "driver" level of hitting the ball hard from 20-40-60-80-and 100 yards out until you learn by feel how far to take it back to pinpoint those distances. This takes practice. I recommend you hit 30 balls at each distance interval for about 5 or 6 straight days to "dial in" those distances. Then watch you confidence soar as you get to the point of KNOWING that you are going to stick inside 4 feet from each of those distances! I guarantee you that will happen. And at that point you are Throwing Darts at the flagstick! Rory McIlroy calls it getting "dialed in."
Step 5: To maintain your skill at Throwing Darts, practice the 30 balls at each distance drill at least 3 times a week.
If you are a young tournament golfer, I promise you will reduce your putting at least 2-3 putts per round. So if you are a scratch handicap player, you will go to minus 3. When I was 24 years old, it took me about 6 weeks to reduce my handicap by that exact figure. So you can try this and see if it does not put you at an entirely different level of golf competiton and performance. And if you think this is too high a hurdle, remember that it is not more difficult than Stephan Curry making 3 point shots. Human hand eye coordiation and the radar capacity for distant targets is truly amazing.
What is "Throwing Darts"? It is taking a wedge from 100 yards in and KNOWING you will get it within 3-4 feet of the cup for a virtual tap in. That is what the pros do day in and day out, and they know how to do it consistently.
Why am I directing this to competitive amateurs? Because the pros already know how to do it, and casual amateurs like me, who have a regular job or career, do not have the time to hone and maintain that skill level. It takes at least 3 times a week with a wedge in your hand. Once learned, it takes 4-6 hours of week for maintenance, so 1.5-2 hours a day three times a week to keep the feel level up. So only serious competitive golfers can benefit.
Why is it so critical? It is fun to learn to bomb it off the tee and drill your irons. But to cut your putting average per round, you have to stick it close to the hole time in and time out. There is no better or more effective way to reduce your putts per round. I have had Tour golfers tell me that and they know what they are talking about.
How do you learn to Throw Darts? There are 5 critical steps:
Step 1: Learn to hit your wedge as straight as frozen rope. How? It is simple. Make sure you have a firm left wrist at impact and make sure you lead the clubhead into impact without the left hand breaking down. It is almost like a block shot. Don't release the club, just hit it firm. That is all you need to do to hit it dead straight every time. It is not any more complicated than that. I add that to hit down on the ball firmly I like to put a little more weight (60%-70%) on my left foot at address to let me deliver the clubhead at a steep angle. I like to dig out a good divot, to get spin on the ball.
Step 2: Hit every wedge shot about as hard as a driver. I mean it. Whether from 20 yards or 100 yards, hit the ball as hard as you can. That way you can never have to worry again about how hard you hit it. The only variable on the distance you hit the wedge is how far you take it back in your backswing. If you only take a choked down wedge back to where your hands are hip high, you can hit it as hard as you can and it will only go 20 yards. But it will be straight and it will have spin - and you don't have to ever worry again about how hard to hit it. And by definition you will accelerate the clubhead thorugh impact.
Step 3: As indicated above, hit it shorter or longer by only two adjustments: How much you choke down on the grip and how far you take it back.
Step 4: This may be the most important step of all. Hit the ball with every increasing lenghth of backswing with a "driver" level of hitting the ball hard from 20-40-60-80-and 100 yards out until you learn by feel how far to take it back to pinpoint those distances. This takes practice. I recommend you hit 30 balls at each distance interval for about 5 or 6 straight days to "dial in" those distances. Then watch you confidence soar as you get to the point of KNOWING that you are going to stick inside 4 feet from each of those distances! I guarantee you that will happen. And at that point you are Throwing Darts at the flagstick! Rory McIlroy calls it getting "dialed in."
Step 5: To maintain your skill at Throwing Darts, practice the 30 balls at each distance drill at least 3 times a week.
If you are a young tournament golfer, I promise you will reduce your putting at least 2-3 putts per round. So if you are a scratch handicap player, you will go to minus 3. When I was 24 years old, it took me about 6 weeks to reduce my handicap by that exact figure. So you can try this and see if it does not put you at an entirely different level of golf competiton and performance. And if you think this is too high a hurdle, remember that it is not more difficult than Stephan Curry making 3 point shots. Human hand eye coordiation and the radar capacity for distant targets is truly amazing.
Friday, June 6, 2025
Freeze Your Wrists in Putting - A Sure Fire Method to Keep the Putterhead Stable During the Putting Stroke
Many golfers use the "claw" to stabilize the putterhead through the putting stroke and elimintate breaking the wrists. That is one method many find will work.
THERE IS ANOTHER SURE FIRE METHOD!
You can also stand over the ball and simply arch your right wrist downward - keeping your right wrist arched downward will freeze your wrists from hinging during your putting stroke and will have the exact same stabilizing effect on your putting stroke as the Claw.
TRY IT - YOU WILL LIKE IT!
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