FIND THE MIDDLE OF THE HOLE
by Glen Whittle

During a putting clinic with a group of juniors recently, I asked them to point out where the middle of the hole would be on a breaking putt. Most pointed at the middle of the cup, which would be correct if the putt was a straight one.

To test the theory, I asked the group to imagine drawing a straight line from the ball to the hole and then to try and hit a putt along this line. They quickly realised the ball would roll off this line almost straight away.

It is important to remember, the middle of the hole changes position because it is based on the ideal track that the ball should be traveling on as it enters the hole and not a straight line. Imagine the hole is a clockface and on straight putts, the middle of the cup is at six o’clock. If the putt has a slight left to right break, the middle of the hole may move to seven or eight o’clock. A right to left break will see the middle of the cup move to five, four or even three o’clock, depending on the severity of the slope.

A good drill to get your putts tracking in the ‘middle’ of the hole is to cover the ‘old middle’ of the hole with two balls and practice putting using the break. Try this drill with your friends and see who can hole the most putts in a row without touching the two “barrier” balls.

This tip appeared in the September 2005 issue of Golf Australia. You can purchase this issue at www.mymagazines.com.au