Pulling putts

Can anyone explain why I miss short putts left so frequently- I know im lined up square and from distnce my puttings fine but get within 8ft and I'll pull it 2-3 inches left. Played luffness today in a down pour and tee to green was awesome. Had 33 points off a 5 handicap but so frustrating to miss 6 putts within 4 feet- one within a foot and everyone of them missed left!Any help appreciated

Chances are that you are closing the face down with the hands. And for some reason the hands are getting activated when they should never be apart of the putting stroke at all except to create a locked connection on the grip.

Try a couple of things:

* Be sure the hands are completely out of any part of making the putter move through the stroke. The shoulders are rocking back and forth only. No legs, hips, torso, arms, hands or head...what's left? Shoulders.

* Remember that a short putt's tempo is identical to a long one's. The time from the start of the takeaway to impact is the same. You are only taking the club back a shorter length to regulate the distance. So, before a short putt take 3 long practice strokes and get that tempo set in the brain. Then take 1 short practice to the right length you want using that same tempo, and then putt it.

* Look at your shoulder and feet alignment. At the putting green, setup like you are ready to make the 4-footer. But stop. Place the putter down you feet line. Step back. The alignment should be a parallel line to the hole, and not pointing AT the hole. Reset the putter on the ground where the alignment should be, then place the feet there. Now take a couple of practice strokes. Stop. Place the putter along the shoulders. Look down and see if your shoulders are also aligned with the feet. If not adjust. Now putt it in.

* Look at your ball position. It should be about 1 or 2 balls inside your left foot (so forward in the stance). If you have it middle or back, you might be getting excessive skid on the ball that is taking it off the intended line. Moving the ball forward allow the putter to make an ascending strike that help put positive spin on the ball reducing initial skid.

* Look at your eye alignment over the ball. Take your address, and place a ball on the bridge of your nose. Drop the ball. It should hit the ball you are lined up to hit. You need to have your eyes directly over the ball for you to see the correct line better. If you are left or right eye dominant, it does not matter. You tilt your head to the target to get the line, and your eyes are now in a vertical line rather then at an angle that can distort the visual alignment of the line.

* What are your eyes doing during the putt? Are they sneaking a look at the putter head as it goes back? And/Or sneaking a look at the hole at impact? Keep them focused on a part of the ball throughout the entire putting stroke and moments after. Let the sound of the ball going in the hole let you know if you made it. When you let the eyes move, your head usually goes with it. When the head moves, the shoulders can get adjusted from their pedestal. This can change the tilt and alignment just slightly, and that could be enough to cause the misses.

(I bet it is the tempo...you are changing it by introducing the hands that is speeding up the stroke in the through stroke. You are getting anxious about making the putt and that shuts the face down. Longer putts are better because you are really only worried about the distance and not the line...so you use a better controlled stroke...just a guess).

Just to add something else, maybe it's just personal preference, but I like to feel a prominent left elbow (right-handed.) By that I mean keeping the elbow travelling all the way along the traget line - a bit like the way that batsmen in cricket keeps their elbow and head directly over the bat handle. I think it helps to eliminate the twisting of the putter head.

I like Greg's advice as always but I'd like you to try something much simpler first. You say that your alignment is all fine and from outside 8 feet you're not having problems and considering that you play off a 5 handicap, I'd say "fine".

Now, what I'd like you to do is once you've picked your line find an intermediate target 15cm ahead of the ball on the same line as your putt. When you setup and make the stroke, get the putter head to follow through over the target/mark/thing you picked.

My educated guess is that on the shorter putts you pull the putter in towards the body. That with a square clubface will make you pull it.

Try it for me and let me know. If this doesn't work then we need to look at your setup, you might be standing too close to the ball on the shorter putts, you might "quitting" and the putter head gets into a shut position ... but as I always like to do, do the simple things first.

__________________
Golf is easy ... once you know how.
Graham Arnott, teaching professional
Kelrosa Golf Studios
www.kelrosagolf.com
Class 'A' PGA Member
Full Member: World Golf Teachers Federation (GB&I)