Golf tip: Right heel up to solidify your putting

Try this unusual advice to help hole more putts

Golf tip: Right heel up to solidify your putting
golf putting tips
Try this stance to improve your putting


When playing a full golf shot, weight transference is crucial but during a good putting stroke there should be no movement of the legs and the head should stay dead still.

But as a coach, when I look closely at most golfers' putting action, the legs wobble about more than they should with knees tending to move into the stroke like a normal swing and as a result the head moves back and forward, too.

Such excessive movements when putting make it very difficult to hole putts consistently. Anchoring the head and keeping it still is a start, but if you've have already tried that and you're putting is still inconsistent, try anchoring the legs as well.

A tip I've found that works means (as a right-hander) first taking up your normal putting stance, then before you make your stroke lift the heel of your right foot slightly (about half an inch) so only the ball of your foot is touching the ground. Drag that foot back a couple of inches and make your putting stroke from this new stance.

Suddenly you'll have a very definite sensation of stability. Any movement in the legs is more apparent and this makes it much easier to keep them static. With the legs held firm it is much more likely to eradicate unnecessary transfer of weight weight and consequently it's much easier to keep the head still, too.

This stance was a successful foundation of the putting style used by legends like Gary Player and Bobby Locke in the 1960s where the right leg was drawn back behind the left to make the base of the stroke more like a tripod, eliminating excessive body movement.


John Hoskison is attached to the Newbury Golf Centre and plays on the European Seniors Tour. For further information visit John's website at www.johnhoskisongolf.com.

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