A Steady Hand

[Nick_Toye]

I have a question about keeping my hand steady and my putting rhythm smooth.

On the backswing I seem to have a tendency to sway, and when I practice the swing I sway on the way through too.

My putting on my last round was good, in that I reduced the amount of putts from the previous round by 7, but I'm not happy with it and feel if I can nail it I can reduce that by the same amount.

I was looking at one of these mirror putting aids, but they seem quite pricey at £20.

Any tips?

 

[Lump]

do you pick the club up before taking it back, rather than just sweeping the club back off the floor?

 

[Nick_Toye]

do you pick the club up before taking it back, rather than just sweeping the club back off the floor?

Not overly, around an inch or so.

 

[JustOne]

Push an old dowel (or alignment stick) thru your belt loops and try making putts so the stick doesn't move at all.

 

[Nick_Toye]

Push an old dowel (or alignment stick) thru your belt loops and try making putts so the stick doesn't move at all.

Yeah I was considering getting some of these alignment sticks, useful for driving too right?

 

[Lump]

Not overly, around an inch or so.

Try taking the club back without picking it up. I will bet you take it back smoother and it'll not wander as much.

 

[Nick_Toye]

Try taking the club back without picking it up. I will bet you take it back smoother and it'll not wander as much.

So literally across the grass? Or as I am in my house, the carpet.

 

[Nick_Toye]

Went out in the garden today and put two tee pegs a putters width, and then 2 more about 4 inches back. Then 2 more 2 ft ahead but slightly narrower.

Putted 40 out of 40 within the gate and into the smaller gate. I'd say that is progress.

 

[Lump]

So literally across the grass? Or as I am in my house, the carpet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoIK8vMKOqk watch tigers stroke. Thats what I mean, don't hover the putter before taking it back.

 

[Nick_Toye]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoIK8vMKOqk watch tigers stroke. Thats what I mean, don't hover the putter before taking it back.

Right so keep the putter grounded right before the back stroke. That putter looks like mine, Method Core.

 

[Region3]

Right so keep the putter grounded right before the back stroke. That putter looks like mine, Method Core.

I think of it like taking the strain in a tug of war. I'm not lifting the putter off the ground, but just taking enough of the weight that it doesn't stick when I start it back.

 

[Nick_Toye]

I think of it like taking the strain in a tug of war. I'm not lifting the putter off the ground, but just taking enough of the weight that it doesn't stick when I start it back.

Believe it or not, I've never played tug-of-war.

 

[Region3]

Believe it or not, I've never played tug-of-war.

Neither have I, although weight wise I could be the little flag in the middle of the rope, but hopefully you know what I meant

 

[Nick_Toye]

Neither have I, although weight wise I could be the little flag in the middle of the rope, but hopefully you know what I meant

Kind of. That Tiger clip is pretty useful too.

 

[Nick_Toye]

This is pretty good too, I actually did this crudely today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKr-8wIJEuw

Ignore the ridiculous music to accompany this drill.

 

[Nick_Toye]

I'm also thinking I have quite a shaky hand, not sure if its going to be an ongoing issue, or it can be fixed.

 

[bladeplayer]

2 lines of 5 golf balls just a bit wider than the putter head ..

line the ball you are putting up with the middle ball ..

0 0 0 0 0
< < 0 < < putter
0 0 0 0 0
you will have to keep your swing straight and steady or you wont get back to the object ball without hitting the line of balls

 

[Nick_Toye]

2 lines of 5 golf balls just a bit wider than the putter head ..

line the ball you are putting up with the middle ball ..

0 0 0 0 0
< < 0 < < putter
0 0 0 0 0
you will have to keep your swing straight and steady or you wont get back to the object ball without hitting the line of balls

Yeah there are loads of these drills. I have tees set up in the garden to emulate what Tiger does. I'm still deciding over grip too, whether to unlink the hands of stack them.

 

[sev112]

I'm also thinking I have quite a shaky hand, not sure if its going to be an ongoing issue, or it can be fixed.

This is quite interesting - it gives me the impression that your putter may be excessively long, or that it is not in the correct plan for your height
I think ... That when your putter is just off the ground (ie mm's) you should feel relaxed with the putter almost hanging from your hands under its own weight, with it still just behind the ball. I can only imagine that a shaky hand only comes if you are having to keep your putter head in place behind the ball when it might want to swing closer to your feet when you lift it from the ground.

Story an experiment, whereby you change your grip position on the club, going progressively down the shaft, until you find the point where the putter head doesn't swing any closer to you when you lift it off the ground,
IF that grip position is substantially different from your current grip position , then that might be a key factor.

 

[Nick_Toye]

I think its just a case of getting back into the swing of things.

I've got a drill setup outside with the tee pegs as gates, and that seems to have improved things.