In almost every round of golf, we are faced with having big breaking putts, from short must-make ones to the long-lag-it-up close ones. There are a few pointers that will help you make more of the short ones and lag the long ones up close for a tap in.
The best tip I ever received to help me make breaking putts came from one of my students, Jack, who is just about the best putter I ever saw and played with. Jack was so good every time I played with him that one day I just had to ask him what and how he putts. I'll paraphrase what he told me about handling breaking putts.
We always start with putting the straight putts first. For a straight in putt, imagine the hole is a clock with 12 at the center top on the opposite side from you and 6 at the center bottom nearest you. Straight putts are aimed at the center-bottom 6 to make the putt dead center. A slight pull will go in at 7 and push at 5. A little more pull may lip in at 8 and push at 4. But anymore pull and push and there is a good chance you will lip out.
The key to making breaking putts is that the 'make zone' on the hole changes the time. Small breaks, right to left ( R to L), will go in from 5 to 4 and left to right (L to R) from 7 to 8. Bigger breaks, R to L, will go in from 4 to 3 and L to R go in from 8 to 9.
Here is where it gets interesting. I have found that many golfers do not realize the following fact. Super breakers that are in the 4 foot range of break or more, like you are putting across a big slope or mound on the green comes into the cup R to L, from 3 to 12 feet. L to R will fall in from 9 to 12.
The key to making these putts is to first know this concept and apply it when reading these big break putts. Once Jack became aware of it, he realized that looking at the hole relative to the slope, and deciding where the ball will enter the cup, really helps define the high point of the break and thus the line of the putt.
On big breaker lag putts this concept of imagining where the ball will fall in helps choose a higher and more correct line. This is important because in lagging, missing on the high side leaves the ball closer to the hole because it reached the hole. Missing on the low side with the same stroke and speed of the high lag, the ball never reaches the hole and is actually running away from it sooner and thus always ends up farther away.
The golf axiom for this 'missing high or low' is like the expression that pros miss on the high side and amateurs miss on the low side. We want to make all our putts, but when lagging the rule is to get it close inside the 3 foot circle for a sure make on the second putt.
You will make more short putts and become an accomplished lag putter looking at the hole as a clock and putting by the right time. Recognizing the time the ball will fall in points out the break. It really works!
The Surge!
Comments
Super breakers that are in
Super breakers that are in the 4 foot range of break or more, like you are putting across a big slope or mound on the green comes into the cup R to L, from 3 to 12 feet.
-What are you trying to communicate here? English please. Everything else is pretty interesting!
It is a slight misprint. It
It is a slight misprint. It should read "R to L from 3 to 12" (o'clock).
Just means the putt has a big enough break from right to left (R to L) to fall into the hole from 3 o'clock to 12 o'clock, if we visualize the hole as a clock on the ground with 6 o'clock being toward us as we putt.