Developing "TOUCH" in Putting (week 3 of 10)

Are you a Tiger or a Crenshaw Putter?

Tiger Woods and Ben Crenshaw are both considered great putters with a great amount of touch.  But the two are COMPLETELY different in their approach to putting. Who are you more like?

Developing your touch around the greens, much like green reading, is a life long pursuit.  Here is a great drill that will help you stay interested in your putting, help you work on speed control and help you with your touch. 

SET UP:

• At your local putting green find a fairly sloping putt of 10-15 feet.  Preferably down hill and breaking a minimum of 2 feet.  Both right to left and left to right breaking putts will work. 
• Set up shop with 5-6 balls from one position. 
• Before you hit your first putt read the putt from 360 degrees around the hole.  Up hill, down hill, down the line etc. 
• Place one tee at the lowest possible line you can stoke the putt.  This is the TIGER LINE.
• That is the closest to a straight putt as you can while still being able to hit the hole with the ball. 
• This line of putt may be so low that it requires a high rate of speed that the ball will not fall into the hole. 
• Place a second tee at the higest possible line while still being able to reach the hole with a slower paced putt.  This is the CRENSHAW LINE.
• This putt should be the highest and slowest you can strike the putt with it still reaching the hole.  

DRILL:
Taking each of the 5-6 balls pick a different starting point within the two tees.  Work on matching the correct speed at which to roll the ball into the hole.  Take at least 10 different lines to putt.

OBSERVATIONS:
You will notice that the higher the line the slower the putt.  The lower the putt the faster the putt. 
You will also notice that there are multiple lines in which the putt may be stuck (as long as the speed matches) to have the ball roll into the hole.  There is, in fact, many ways to strike the ball.

Tiger Woods attempts to putt the same way he lives his life.  He tries to control everything.  He tries to will the ball into the hole.  He hits it firm, agressively on a low line taking as much break out of the putt he can.  He figures his style will allow him to make a higher amount of his first putts.  Taking this same approach on his second putt means he may make many as well.  He accepts 3 putts as a product of that agressiveness.

Ben Crenshaw is the complete opposite.  Mr. Crenshaw generally putts on a higher and softer line.  He feels that the best putt is one that dies into the hole from the high side.  He makes a fair amount of them because he gives it enough speed to get to the whole but not too much to have a putt of any significant length remaining.

Which one are you?

If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me at: john.grothe@gmail.com
Your friend in golf,

John Grothe, PGA

High Fives for Colton

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