Get the right help so that loving your putter can become a reality!

by Aunt Owwee under CC BY  with WPSEOPix

 

"No 3 Putts …" by David Perry is a good read about what a number of teaching pros and putting experts believe can help golfers improve their putting.  One of the best writeups was from Carol Preisinger, a well-respected PGA teaching professional.

Carol talked about how it is important for a golfer to Love His (or Her) Putter.  And I think she has really hit a home run with that thought.  What she means – and she said this – is that a golfer develops a sense of confidence in his putter.  He knows it will perform well, and is excited about getting to use it when he plays.

So – is loving a putter like loving a spouse?  Well, let's see…..

Infatuation – Love At First Sight? – Be Careful!  Your last relationship with a putter was not so good, and you have decided you need a new one.  So….you go into a golf store, you see a rack of cool-looking putters, you pick up one and it JUST LOOKS AND FEELS GREAT!  Is this finally the one you have been searching for forever?  You hit a couple of putts on an indoor putting surface, made a few, and wow.

Well it COULD be this is the one for you.  But a "ten-putt stand" in the golf store does not a true putting relationship make!  How do you know you can really aim that putter at the hole and control speed with it on the greens that you play on?  See if you can do some "putter dating" first – can you play golf with it for a few rounds, see how it performs for you under real playing conditions – and then decide to move forward with this relationship?

Even better would be get some "pre-marriage counseling help" – like a true putter fitting to give you advice on the putter length, lie, loft, head style that you can aim well, and putter weighting that really fits the way you putt.  You may THINK you can self-fit yourself for this relationship………..but hey, you thought that before!

Courting and Growing a True Bond – Putting Your Putter FIRST!  In the best relationships, the needs of the "significant other" are put first, and this is not always easy.  What does your putter need from you?  It needs you to develop a stroke that is fundamentally sound and that you can repeat and have confidence in.  The two of you are a team – and your job on this team is to find out how you presently putt and if there are any stroke improvements that will help you to putt better.  So…..find a good "putting counselor" who can help you to truly analyze your stroke, provide suggestions for improvement, and help you to develop a plan to do your part in this relationship.

Growing Together – Learning to Trust.  All relationships take some time to develop.  Yes, there are stories of PGA pros who pick up a $10 putter and use it to win a Major – but is that likely to happen to you? 

Now, if you "self-fit" your putter, this part of the relationship might be difficult.  Because the infatuation phase will start working off when you miss putts and you are not sure why.  And when you cannot develop great speed control and stroke rhythm because you have to "adapt" to your putter.  You might start thinking "time to dump this one just like the other ones….

However, if you got that "pre marriage counseling help" and found a good "putting counselor" you start seeing glimpses of greatness in your putting.  Most times your speed control is great, and you know you can aim your putter well from all distances.  You might miss putts when you do not pick the right line – but you know that is not you or your putter – it is about learning a better way to read greens (maybe find another "putting counselor?").  And SOME days you sink a bunch of putts and you feel so good you cannot stand it!  And you trust your putter and your improved putting stroke more and more.

And you also get a great sense of satisfaction because you took the risk to get the right putter for you, and you did the work to develop a good, repeating stroke.

YOU MADE IT!!  Yep, you now do really Love Your Putter – and Your Putting.  And All Of A Sudden you wonder – why not learn to love my other golf clubs…..!!

 

How About YOU?  Have you developed your own process for learning to love your putter – if so we would love to hear from you!

 

Happy New Year!

The Fit Is IT!!

Tony