Using the putter from off the green.
|
It's a well-known golfing adage that from off the green, 'your worst putt will be better than your worst chip'.
However, many amateur golfers tend to frown at the idea of putting from the fringe or from the fairway in front of the green.
They claim it shows a lack of resolve to putt through thicker grass on to the putting surface. Surely it must be better to show your mates what a fine player you are by playing a cute chip with your wedge or sand-iron?
No way. The scorecard doesn't paint pictures. Using the putter is the best way to turn three shots into two.
Watching the television coverage from the Nissan Open, where the greens at Riviera Country Club are small and the fringes fluffy, I was impressed by Curtis Strange's commentary when watching contender Nick Price putting across the apron.
"See that? That's the way to do it. Get the ball on the ground as soon as possible, especially if you're nervous," he told us.
Excellent advice.
Here's a handful of situations where a putter can rescue you, while the wedge can make you look a little foolish.
*If the hole is cut in the front of the green and your ball is in the fairway within 10 yards, it's easier to judge how hard to hit a putt, than it is to judge how far to carry the ball to the edge with a lofted club.
However, if there are any rough patches or old divots that may throw the ball off line you may have to re-think this strategy.
*When the green includes any tiers or severe slopes and the hole cut close to them, it's a good idea to consider putting from 10-15 yards off the green. You're more likely to misjudge the distance you need to carry the ball with a wedge than you are a putter.
*If your ball stops against a collar of rough, the putter may get snagged in the backswing. Consider gripping down, using your putting grip, with a fairway wood. The wide sole tends to part the grass on the through swing. Take care, however, with the speed of the clubhead. A ball off the face of these clubs tends to come out 'hot' and rolling.
How to judge distance
From off the green it's always a good idea to step back behind the ball and imagine tossing the ball onto the green and 'seeing' it roll up to the hole.
Replicate the arm swing needed and that will tell you how far to take the putter back and through.
It's also a good idea to position the ball slightly further back in your stance than you would for a normal putt. This will help you to be more aggressive and assist the ball through the longer grass on the way to the putting surface.
Concentrate, too, on the follow through as this will tend to encourage top spin on the ball to get it rolling out. Better to be past the hole, at least you can see the line coming back!
With a few minutes to spare before you play, practice a few putts from off the practice green to get your muscle memory in gear.
Other ways of using the putter from off the green
*Vijay Singh once played one of the greatest shots in golf at the 16th green at Sawgrass, by turning his putter head at right angles and striking the ball with the toe. The grass was thick against the collar but with the toe of his putter used like a hammer it penetrated the grass easily and send the ball into the hole.
*From a bare lie with a sharp upslope to the green, grip down on your putter and strike the ball with a sharp descending blow. The ball will be trapped and pop out with top spin on the putting surface.
*Faced with having to play a left-handed shot, there's nothing to stop you using the back of the putter with a reversed putting stroke, to get the ball back into play (though an Odyssey 2-ball model tends to make this shot a tad more difficult!)
.jpg)
