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Putter Fitting 101

Kevin O'Connell —  August 21, 2012 — Leave a comment

Why am I using a new putter? Because the old one didn’t float too well. ~ Craig Stadler

Most amateurs will spend time and money getting fitted for their drivers every year but won’t come out of pocket for a new putter. I get it, we all want to hit it farther and getting on a launch monitor testing new drivers is fun. I enjoy it too! But trust me when I say hitting it 5 yards farther will not help you get better. However, getting properly fitted for your putter is vitally important to helping you improve your scoring and handicap.

The good news is a new putter shouldn’t set you back as much as a new driver. The bad news is most off-the-rack putters won’t fit you right. They will need to be modified slightly. Length and lie angle are the most important factors to optimizing your putter for set up and stroke. And both can be easily adjusted with the help of a reputable club maker. It is important to spend time getting personally set up so you can eliminate variables and focus solely on making more putts.

Some basic fitting fundamentals to think about:

  • Eyes over the ball or just inside the ball to help you see the correct line
  • Putter head should be relatively flat on the ground
  • Arms hanging comfortably with hands 3-4″ from the body

A putter too long will force your hands out of position and get the putter/ball position outside your eye line with the toe of the putter up in the air. This causes mishits on the heel and usually causes the path to come inside.

A putter too short with force you to bend over too much with your eye line outside the ball causing the opposite; heel up in the air with mishits on the toe and the path starting outside the line.

In either situation a mishit occurs and the path of the putter is not correct making it impossible to consistently start the ball on the correct line. You may make some putts like that but over time it will be very difficult to putt consistently well.

There is no perfect method to putting, but the key is consistency and knowing you’ll get the ball started on the correct target line. A properly fit putter will help you eliminate variables and make more putts.

Have you ever been fitted for a putter?

photo credit: Nicki’s Pix

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Use Slow Motion Drills to Feel Your Swing Changes

Kevin O'Connell —  August 6, 2012 — Leave a comment

golf swing in a red shirtYears ago I learned a swing drill from a friend of mine that was just getting started on the PGA Tour. I was hanging out with him down in Sea Island getting in a few good practice sessions.

One afternoon on the range I noticed that we had been hitting balls for hours and I hadn’t seen him make a single normal full swing. It looked as though he was hitting shots in slow motion, only 30-40%. I knew he was making some tough swing changes so I inquired as to what he was up to. His explanation was simple; the body can feel the swing changes a lot easier if you swing in slow motion. He explained that most golfers try to make drastic changes by swinging 85-100% and the body simply can’t feel those big changes at that pace.

A short time later I started working with Greg Labelle in Las Vegas at the Butch Harmon School of Golf. We wanted to make some significant changes in just a few weeks time while I was playing a full tournament schedule. Greg knew the value of slow motion drills and he hammered that home to me every session we had. I wanted instant results and was so focused on the new positions in my swing that I forgot about my tempo. After each shot he would say, “Sloooow it down!” Eventually I was hitting 7 irons at about 30-40% and I could feel every aspect of the swing and know exactly what the club was doing and more importantly feel the difference between a correct movement and my old swing faults. I would continue to do this for the following days or even weeks slowly increasing the speed until I was ripping it 80-100%.

Lately I have been helping some friends improve their games. They all need to make some routine swing changes to be more consistent players. Showing them the proper swing patterns and explaining why they will help them is the easy part. It is teaching them HOW to make the swing changes that I find difficult. They all want to grab a club and swing 100% and see what happens. Making a change is difficult and requires time and patience. If you are going to invest your time and energy in this you might as well do it correctly. Slooooow it down, let your body feel the changes and slowly speed it back up to your normal tempo.

Have you used slow tempo drills to improve your game?

photo credit: cooper.gary

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Visualize Your Way To Lower Scores

Kevin O'Connell —  July 24, 2012 — Leave a comment

One of the greatest tools for improving your game is simply visualizing what you want to happen.

Most of us already do this, only we visualize what we don’t want to happen. The problem is our brains don’t understand the “don’t” part. Taking 15 minutes to think about the best shots you hit in your previous round can do wonders for your game. Stay away from the “could have and should have” thoughts and only concentrate on the good shots you actually hit.

Now apply this when you are on the course by adding a few seconds to your pre-shot routine to visualize how you want the shot to come off. Keep those positive thoughts in your mind as long as possible while you execute the shot. It won’t be easy at first but like any other part of your game, in time you will see improvement in your visualization and in your play.

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Black tees marker for #7 at Tree Tops

Why Are Golf Handicaps Important?

Kevin O'Connell —  June 26, 2012 — Leave a comment

A golf handicap is the best way to level the playing field between playing partners. It can also help determine which tee markers each player should be playing from.

How do handicaps enhance your golf course experience?

A well designed golf course should give players from each tee marker the same kind of experience based on their own abilities.

How can you keep track of yours?

If you are a member of golf course or country club your golf shop with have a handicap system that you can use. They usually are connected to your state golf association. It is important to record all your scores for accuracy. They even have a score system to figure out what you shot if you happen to pick up on a hole.

Good free smartphone apps to track your handicap

  • Titleist App featuring My Game section allowing you to post scores and track stats.
  • GHIN Mobile from USGA:   Your state or regional golf association uses the GHIN service and this app is connected to that allowing you to upload scores and view your current handicap and scores away from your home course.     No more sandbagging or asking:  What’s your real handicap?

photo credit: danperry.com

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Golf hole at Littler River

Tips for Developing a Winning Pre-Shot Routine

Kevin O'Connell —  June 7, 2012 — Leave a comment

I often get asked for swing advice and usually the problems are due to poor setup. Fixing setup issues are fundamental but if the player doesn’t have a solid pre-shot routine, achieving the proper setup becomes incredibly difficult.

A good routine helps you get aligned correctly to your target and helps get your body into the correct setup positions. These are two critical elements to play more consistent golf.

The misconception a lot of golfers have is that the routine needs to be complicated. A simple and short routine can help you eliminate mistakes. Having no routine leads to sloppy, frustrating play.

Tips for developing a winning routine

  1. Watch other golfers that you admire and get ideas for your pre-shot routine.
  2. Spend time on the range to create and practice a brief routine.
  3. Make sure it fits your personality. If you are a fast paced person it is best to have a quicker routine that matches your natural rhythm.

If you watch any professional or top amateur events, you will see every golfer has a repeatable pre-shot routine. I think this is an important part of the game that often gets overlooked. Remember, keep it simple and automatic.

What are your pre-shot routine secrets?

photo credit: Zach Dischner

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