Tales From The Bunker

Routine is good. When we go the mall we park in the same place. We put our car keys in the same spot when we arrive home (usually).  

Our kids call us old and boring because we always do certain things the same way but there is a purpose. We know where we are parked at the mall and do not have to worry about finding our car. A consistent golf pre shot routine has much the same purpose. It does not matter if the putt is for the Masters, the club championship or simply to break 100 we can put added pressure upon ourselves.

If we fall back into our pre shot routine we can concentrate on the routine and not focus on the importance of the putt.  Of course you need to develop your own routine that you are comfortable with and then consistently use it for every putt.

Below is a short video that discusses the importance of the putting routine. The instructor’s routine is very brief and that work’s for him. My routine takes a little longer but not so long as to become a distraction to my partners.  

I hope you enjoy the video and as always do not forget to check out our TheEscapePlace stores on eBay, Amazon and Bonanza.
They will help your golf game and more!

Remember to keep  ‘em in the fairway.

Tom N  Becky

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Recently I have been struggling with my putting. Historically I have never really had problems putting but things change so I decided to reevaluate my technique. We used to sell in our eBay store TheEscapePlace a DVD from David Leadbetter called The Short Game. It was a huge seller but unfortunately we are sold out and I do not know where to get new ones. So I went to the library to rent the DVD.  

Besides my wife thinking he is a major geek, it is an excellent DVD. I decided to adopt his suggested putting stroke and immediately went to the driving range to try it out. The results were mixed but that was to be expected.

Yesterday I played golf with my son. It was the first time I used my new putting stroke on the course. We were teamed up with a couple who were probably around sixty. The woman was probably the finest woman golfer I have ever played with.

The first five or six holes I struggled with the new putting stroke and left many putts short. The woman in our foursome said a pro once told her you have to “Commit to the Putt”. Once you decide the line and the speed do not start to second guess yourself and simply “Commit to the Putt”.

One I starting to use her advice I found myself focusing on technique only and the improvement in my putting was tremendous. It is amazing how a little four word phrase can make such a difference in you putting.

Next you are out on the golf course, always “Commit to the Putt” and I think you will be happy with the result.

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As if putting was not difficult enough there are two competing philosophies on the speed with which you should putt. The most common instruction is to try to let your putt come to rest eighteen inches beyond the hole. (Think Arnold Palmer) The idea is if your ball never gets to the hole it will never drop into the cup. The problem with this technique is you will often find yourself two or three feet past the cup with a challenging putt to convert.

Die putters try to drop the ball just over the front lip of the hole. The idea is if you are off slightly the ball will still drop into the cup from the side because it has so little speed. This increases your chance of making the putt. (Think Jack Nicklaus) The weakness with this strategy is you must be sure to let the ball die at the hole not before. How many times have you heard on the golf course “Never up Never in”? Maybe too many times.

You have to decide what is natural for you. If you are by nature an aggressive person you should probably also be an aggressive putter.  If you are more laid back die putting might be more natural for you.

Hank Haney says when you putt you first determine the line and then the speed. Once you are lined up correctly completely focus on the speed. More putts are missed short or long than to the side. Use  your putting philosophy and completely focus on it before you stroke the ball. The results should please you.

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