Putting can easily become the most frustrating part of your golf game when it is not going to plan. The more frustrated you get with your putting, the worse it will become and when you spend the time to read the line of putt, only to see the ball finish away from the hole, it is annoying to say the least.
Reading a green is a skill but once you have mastered that skill, it doesn’t mean your putts are always going to follow your chosen line. You can read the line perfectly but having made your putt, the ball can still drift to the right or left, which can be infuriating.
Thankfully, if this is happening to you, the possible solution could be your club face. If the face of your putter is not square at impact, the ball will roll wide of the target, even when you have read the line perfectly.
To ensure a square face at impact, square the putter face behind the ball and take your grip of the club. Check the position of your left hand (for right handed players) and watch it as the putter contacts the ball. Was it in the same place as when you started the back swing?
If so, the putter face was square at impact, if not, you are opening or closing the face during the swing.
To prevent his from happening, your hands and putter head must match each other in terms of acceleration towards the ball. If you flip your right wrist at impact, this over accelerates the putter head causing it to close the face of the putter and missing the putt to the left of the hole.
If you push your left hand towards the target when putting, this over accelerates the handle and leaves the face open. The result is a missed putt to the right.
So, you must match the acceleration of the putter head and your hands, to ensure the ball follows your chosen line when on the green.
If you are unsure if you are reading your putting line correctly and cannot tell if it is your reading of the green or your putting stroke which is causing you to miss putts to the right or left, there is one simple drill you can do to help.
Place two balls side-by-side on the green and aim to putt them both towards the hole, striking them both at the same time. Striking the balls at the same time is the most important part of this drill, do not worry about trying to get them in the hole!
Having hit the balls, if your putter face was square, they will both roll the same distance. However, if the outside ball rolls further, it means the face was closed at impact and if the inside ball rolls further, it means the face was open at impact.
Practice trying to match the acceleration of your hands and putter head until you can get both balls to travel the same distance.
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