Stop Coming Up Short!

One of the biggest reasons for a player “coming up short” especially on longer putts is because the strike has occurred too low on the putter face. This type of contact transfers less energy to the golf ball than if it was struck out of the ‘sweet spot’ or centre of the face. On a 30 foot putt this could result in the ball finishing as much as 10 feet short of the hole depending on how low on the face the contact is!

Most players will conclude they simply did not hit the ball hard enough or blame their poor judgement of pace or the fact they “just couldn’t feel the speed of the greens.” In many instances the truth is the player may well have had the correct stroke length to roll the ball the desired distance but they were simply unaware of the fact they miss-struck the ball. This is dangerous conclusion to make as the next time they face a 30 footer they will give the putt a little extra to make sure it gets there and of course this time strike it right out of the centre and blast the ball 10 foot past!

The most common reason for a strike off the bottom of the face is because the lowest point of the stroke is too far behind the ball. You can see from the picture 1 below the coloured lines tracking the putter head are travelling on too much of an upward trajectory towards the ball:

The data in picture 2 is showing an upwards attack angle in excess of 7 degrees and a low point that is between 4.40 and 5.30 inches behind the ball, resulting in the strike off the bottom on the face.

This can happen for a number of reasons. The ball could be too far forward in the stance, the handle could be leaning too far back behind the ball or the player could be using their wrists too much through the strike. In any case, it is very difficult for a player to work out what has happened because the feeling of a strike low off the face with a putter is very subtle compared to that of say a driver. If you strike a drive off the bottom of the face not only can you instantly feel it but the effect on the ball flight is obvious. With a putt the feeling in the strike may not be immediately noticeable but what is noticeable is the ball finishing too far short of the hole. So the next time you leave a long putt short, the first question you should ask yourself is “Did I strike that out of the centre of the face?”

If you struggle to control distance on the greens the correct diagnosis of ‘why’ is crucial if you are to make the most of your valuable practice time working on the correct thing. To answer all of the questions about your putting, call or email using the contact details below to book your 90 minute assessment session and all will be revealed!