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22 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | JULY 2022 | Harvey Penick once said: "A man who can't putt is a match for no one,a man who can is a match for anyone." I think Harvey said it all. Putting is the easiest part of the game to practice and get better at. We all should be good putters. Here are some putting truths you should put into practice to help you master your putting. 1. Putting is important. Did you know putting accounts for approximately 43 percent of your total strokes, regardless of skill level? Lower this percentage and your scores will go down. Allocate at least one-third of your practice time to becoming the best putter you can be. 2. Aim is critical. You can't dominate with your putter if you don't know how to aim it correctly, or how much break to play. Nail these fundamentals first. 3. Keep your stroke "on-line" through the impact zone. If you hook or cut-spin your putts, your chance of success goes down. If your putts roll off the face in the same direction your putter is heading immediately after impact, that's good. If your putter moves one way and the ball another, you've got problems. 4. Face angle is even more important than stroke path. And not insignificantly — it's six times more important. Even if your path is good, opening or closing the face at impact spells doom. 5. You're only as skilled as your impact pattern. Catching putts across the face produces varying ball speeds. Find one impact point. My recommendation: the sweet spot. 6. Putts left short never go in. When you miss, your putts should end up 17 inches past the hole. If you roll them faster, you'll suffer more lip-outs. Roll them slower and the ball will be knocked off-line by imperfections (footprints, pitch marks, etc.) in the green. 7. Proper putt speed comes from proper rhythm. In our putting clinics, we incorporate rhythm into pre-putt rituals, then carry that same rhythm through the stroke. Rhythm is the key to consistency. You've got to find your own and groove it. 8. Putting is a learned skill. Having the "touch" in your mind's eye to know how firmly to stroke a putt (so its speed matches the break), and then also having the "feel" in your body to execute that touch is gained only through experience and solid practice. 9. Be patient. Sometimes poorly struck putts go in and well-struck putts miss. Sometimes badly read greens compensate for poorly struck putts. Results can confuse golfers when they don't understand the true fundamentals of putting. Having the patience to learn to be a good putter is an incredible virtue for a golfer. 10. Putting is like life. You don't have to be perfect, but you can't do any of the important things badly. My advice? Believe in yourself. Becoming a great putter isn't easy, but it's possible. Maintain a good, hardworking attitude as you work through items 1 through 9 and I promise you will start to see significant improvement in your putting. Good Golfing! ~ Brian Garlington, PGA, Director of Golf The Truth About Putting

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