Best golf tips to help you aim the putter correctly

In need of some helpful golf tips, particularly on the greens? You've arrived at the right place!

The recipe for world class putting is made up of the four key ingredients seen here, explains Specialist Putting Coach James Jankowski.

Some great putters may be better be stronger at one aspect than another, but overall they must have a certain level of competency at all four...

Aim

Our ability to aim the putter correctly to our desired start line is an ability not often talked about when it comes to putting, or indeed the rest of the game when is comes to the clubface.

Green reading is irrelevant if we simply cannot aim to our desired start line, and with compensations often being made to achieve the desired result, consistency is difficult.

It may sound obvious, but one preference I have in my coaching, is for golfers to aim as square to their intended start line as possible.

This way they can build a more repetitive motion, without compensations being necessary during the stroke.

So how do we improve our aim?

For me, one of the most important parts of our setup, to help us aim consistently, is the position of our eyes.

Simply put, whenever we change the position of our eyes at address, we change our perspective of the line, with what we see as straight not necessarily being so.

I have heard many coaches over the years getting golfers to set up with their lead eye over the ball as to see the line best. This is true for many but not for all.

I have also heard from some that they believe golfers should set their eyes 'inside the ball.' True for less than the previous I would say, but still true for some.

So which is correct?   

This depends upon the individual in question and depends on their own personal perspective at address.

I almost always like to get golfers setting up with their left eye in line with the ball from the front on view. This puts the ball just ahead of centre in the stance (assuming weight distribution is close to 50/50) and close to the bottom of the stroke, ensuring minimal manipulation is needed to square the face at impact.

Another preference I have for all golfers is for them to have their eyes parallel to their intended target line. A non square eyeline at set up can also often lead to an incorrect perspective of the line.

All this said, the position of the left eye from down the line, and whether it is inside, over the ball and even indeed outside of the ball, is dependent on the personal perspective of each golfer.