Make More Putts With A Still Head
Exclusive by Mark Gibson

A common fault among poor putters is the lifting of the head at impact and into the follow-through on putts. While the player may concentrate on keeping their head still during the stroke, they can tend to lift the left shoulder (for right handers) to watch the putt and this causes the head to come up. The result is nearly always a missed putt. You can overcome this problem by keeping your left shoulder low through the putting stroke. This will not only stop your head from coming up prematurely but it will also keep the putterface square to the target longer. Here is a great drill you can do at home or in the office that I guarantee will stop you lifting your left shoulder and moving your head up during the stroke.

Pick a spot on the floor near a long section of wall. Place the ball about five or six centimetres from the wall and aim to a cup that is a similar distance from the wall. At address, your eyes should be over the ball and your forehead should be touching the wall (pic 1). Adjust the distance the ball sits from the wall
so it lies directly underneath your eye line, while your head stays touching the wall. Now when you putt, you will feel any slight movement of your head (pic 2). You will also notice that by keeping your head pressed against the wall, your putts will consistently come out of the middle of the putterface and you will roll the ball into the cup more often.

Mark Gibson is a teaching professional at Lakelands GC, on the Gold Coast, Queensland. He is available for lessons on (07) 5579 8700.

This article appeared in the October 2005 issue of Golf Australia. If you missed the October 2005 issue on the magazine stand, order a back copy at www.mymagazines.com.au