Instruction
bag. Your priority on the driver should be direction. Now that I have you thinking about distance control versus direction on
Ready, Set, Putt W
hich golf club in your bag is the most important for distance? Of course, most players answer “the driver” without hesitation, but I believe the putter is the most important distance club in your
the greens, know that distance (also called speed) is the key aspect to fewer putts per round, better scores and more fun. I want to challenge you to become a speed demon on the green. Speed
demons practice with the goal of relishing every long putt, making more distance putts than the averages suggest, eliminating three-putts and using speed control to become better green readers. Here are my three favorite putting tips, all of which will improve your distance and make you a speed demon on the green.
Tip No. 1:
The Stock Putt Learn speed and distance control
with a stock putt. A stock shot in golf for a tour pro is the basic and most familiar shot they have, and often a go-to shot for success. In the short game, I think of it as the building block on which you build feel for shorter or longer distances. The lack of a stock shot is the
number one reason golfers struggle in all parts of their game. I believe you have to become pro-
ficient at one distance before you can master them all. Having a stock shot or distance to build upon is critical to speed or distance success. My stock putt is 20 feet. I love 20-footers. If
I hit a good shot into the green, I’m often about 20 feet away from the hole and I would guess you are, too. This is a makeable birdie putt. I know I can two-putt it every time. I also know I have a good chance of making my stock putt.
Drill No. 1: Create your stock shot Pace off 20 feet from the hole.
Now visualize a “safety zone”—a three-foot semi-circle behind the hole. Drop five balls and try to get them in the hole, or at least in the safety zone. Award yourself one point for every putt in the safety zone, and two points for a make. Practice this distance every time you go to the green, and I guar- antee your improvement. Remember how many points you average, and try to improve each time.
Katherine Marren is the director of instruction at the Quail Lodge Golf Academy. She was named 2008 Teacher of the Year by the Northern California PGA, and has been recognized as an expert teacher by Golf for Women, Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. For lessons, call (831) 620-8859 or email
kmarren@quaillodge.com.
52 /
NCGA.ORG / WINTER 2015
Try to make your 20-foot putt, or make sure it finishes in a 3-foot semi-circle behind the hole.
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BY KATHERINE MARREN PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON OLSON
Tip No. 2: Improve
Your Starting Position A putting setup that creates solid
balance, room to swing your arms freely, and eyes over the ball, is key to consis- tent contact and distance control. I often see golfers using too much lower body movement and extra hand and wrist ac- tion. The extra movement results in weak contact and loss of distance control. The fix is to create a stable starting position.
Drill No. 2: Setup and Posture Stand up straight with your putter
in front of you Bring your elbows in slightly Bend at the hips until the putter
head rests on the ground
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