SHORT GAME FUNDAMENTALS
The Principles
Of Good Putting
The putting stroke is only stoke in the game which is largely left up to
the golfer to develop on his own. | 1
There arc a number of reasons that
few professional tcachcrs spend
much time teaching fundamentals
which relate to the putting stroke.
First of all, most professional
instructors have learned through ex
perience that the most difficult golf
habits to change arc those associated
with putting. Almost every golfer
has "found" a stroke that works well . ?
for him most of the time. Remember I said "most" of the time.
Watch Out For Those Putting Gurus
We are all familiar with the ease where someone gives us a hot tip on
the practice putting green and within minutes we are rolling the ball straight
and true to the cup. We take our new "found" stroke to the course and it
works like a charm. We continue to putt well for a number of weeks while
focusing on this new lip for our putting stroke. Suddenly the new stroke
stops working. We go back to the practice green and try to reinstall the new
"Find." Even that does not work.
At this point, we arc open for help from the next "putting guru" who
strolls by. Here he comes now: "Hey Guy, you are never going to be a good
putter as long as you wear that golf glove. Get rid of it. The secret to good
putting is in your Fingernails. You gotta feel those Fingernails on the handle
of the putter. You should let the fingernails grow a little longer to improve
your feel with the putter."
Before you laugh, let me tell you that I heard those remarks being
passed along to a friend of mine. He took his glove off and gave it a try. I
watched him for several weeks to see if he let his Fingernails grow. I have
never been sure what he would have done, since he found a better method
before the Fingernail system sunk in. He now putts with his master eye over
the ball while squinting with the other eye. Seriously. And he will not di
vulge which guru gave him that tip.
My friend has always had a nice setup to his putts. His stance is solid,
his grip is Fine, his hands and arms are relaxed and there is little or no break
in his wrist during the stroke. His only downfall has been his interpretation
of "accelerating through the ball." He has a nice smooth back stroke but
then he jabs at the ball giving it a rap while stopping the putter blade just a
few inches beyond the point of impact. His back stroke is three or four
times longer than his follow-through. He refuses to believe that he is actu
ally decelerating the putter through the ball. And he is quick to tell you that
Gary Player and Billy Casper are "pop" putters.
Most Great Putters Agree
If you are a golfer who feels you have a fundamentally sound method
of putting and still are not getting all you expect from your putting, let's re
view the list of Putting Principles from the PGA Manual. The manual states
that, "There is no single element of putting technique that every great putter
agrees upon, but there are a few that a majority support" They are: Set up
with the eye over or slightly inside the ball. Set the clubface square to the
target line. Position the ball slightly forward of your swing center. Limit
body motion. Use an accelerating stroke. Be comfortable over the ball.
Make solid contact by hitting the ball in the putter's "sweet spot."
As with the fundamentals of the short game, there is not much in this
list which will surprise an experienced golfer. It is possible that some have
not been conscious of placing their eye over the ball and aligned with the
intended line of your putt. This principle improves consistency and accura
cy in the direction your putts roll. The farther your eye is from the intended
line of the putt, the more your visual image is distorted. It is also a good
check point to remind you to always stand the same distance from the ball.
Ball Position Not A Fundamental Violation
Positioning the ball slightly forward of center is not a violation of the
fundamental to address the ball "generally in the center of your stance."
Positioning the ball forward of center allows you to contact the ball frac
tionally on the upswing, just beyond bottom dead center. This ball position
is particularly helpful on short putts on slick greens when you want to roll
the ball dead straight into the back of the cup. I makes sense that contacting
the ball slightly on the upswing will reduce the distance which the ball will
skid along the irregular surface of the green before it picks up overspin and
rolls true to the target.
In the rare event you do not believe that there are irregularities on even
the best greens, just watch Film of a putt rolling in slow-motion. The only
other routine golf shot in which you want the club to be slightly on the up
ward path in its arc is the drive. Otherwise, there would be no need to place
the ball on a tee.
Next week we will look at some ways to install the fundamentals and
the principles discussed above into your putting habits. There are also some
very quotable quotes from both teaching professionals and playing profes
sionals which I want to share with you.
FREE SUMMER GOLF
when you stay at
Gold Coast By The Ocean
in North Myrtle Beach, SC
1 & 2-BR condos. microwaves, phones, linens,
pool, game room, etc.
Let the kids enjoy the beach while
you golf. Carts required.
Call for reservations
and tee times:
1-800-768-0193
or 803-249-2412
61991 THE BRUNSWICK BEACON
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Re-Introducing
Cypress Bay Golf Club
Remodeled Clubhouse - 19th Hole Restaurant
Deck - Cart Paths - Many More Improvements
Before 11 AM
$27 Green Fee & Golf Cart
After 11 AM
$20 Green Fee & Golf Cart
Free Sleeve Of 2. Golf Balls With This
Coupon To Play The Remodeled
Cypress Bay Golf Club For Each Customer
Hwy. 17, Little River, SC, (803)249-1025 Expires 6/30/91
BBi^y
Foursome Wins
OIB Captain's Choice With 60
Sieve Borget, Kay Dodge and
Bob Davidson fired a round of 60 to
win the Ocean Isle Beach Golf As
sociation Father's Day captain's
choice tournament June 16.
Finishing five shots back in sec
ond place was the team of Ed Tillcy,
Carol Smith, Vince Pragcl and
Maddic Hocllman.
Placing third with a 66 was the
foursome of Kemp Causey, Betty
Tcdesco, Bill Pragcl and George
Witthohn.
Fourth placc went to the team of
Tony Bclda, Sara Williams, Jim
King and Walter Dodge with a 68.
Course professionals Borget, Bel
da and Tillcy joined the golf associ
ation members to form seven teams
for the event.
Closest to the pin winners at the
13th hole were Jim King for the men
with a distance of 9 feet, 6 inches,
and Betty Tcdesco for the women
with a distance of 9 feet, 10 inches.
Brierwood Ladies
Elsie Rickbcil birdicd the third
hole and chipped in at the fourth on
her way to a net 24 and a top finish
in the Brierwood Ladies Golf Asso
ciation crossover tournament last
week.
Other top finishers in the first
flight included Marie Dolan and
Hilda Hall with scores of 27.5. Both
women birdicd the ninth hole, and
Mrs. Dolan had low pulls in the
flight with 28.
Virginia Gibson led the way in
the second flight with a round of 25.
GOLFING ACTION
Runncrs-up were Maureen Farley
wilh net 27 and Jane Flieg with
27.5. Marian Johnson had low putts
wilh 32.
Third flight winners were Esther
Smith with 24.5, Janice Owens with
25.5 and Kay Quackenbush with 28.
Marian Corbin had low putts in the
third flight with 30.
In the fourth flight. Peg Steincr
had the low net of 25.5. Ginny
Anzelonc, who chipped in at the
10th hole, placed second with 27.5.
Jennie Wani was third with 29.5.
Mary Nicol had low putts with 35.
Other birdies during the tourna
ment came from Ann Causer at the
second hole, Jan Loflin at the
fourth. Ginger Sugrue at the sixth,
Ncarle Einstein at the ninth and
Marje Roach at the 13th.
Brierwood Ninettes
Ann Poison and Hclcne Baker
tied for first place with net scores of
10 in the Brierwood Ninettes golf
tournament last Friday.
Golfers counted scores on par
threes and par fives only and used
one-fourth of their handicaps in the
nine-hole event
Joyce Rose and Liz Bruce tied
for second place with scores of 11.
Harriet Schuler had low putts with
Brierwood Men
A foursome that included Odie
Rotary Golf Tourney
Awards Four Teams
The foursome of A1 Laughinghouse, Robert Cox, Tommy Phillips
and Glenn Humbert captured first place in the fourth annual South
Brunswick Islands Rotary Club Golf Tournament Saturday at Sea Trail
Plantation's Willard Byrd Course.
Taking second place was the team of Paul Dennis, Bryan Griffin,
Linda Harlcss and Larry Brown.
Bill Benton, Rcnnie Clark, Rick Ward and Jimmy Sanderford
teamed up to take third place while the foursome of Dave Kelly, Mike
Reeves, Don Hughes and Jim Prcvattc finished fourth.
Some 17 teams participated in the event that helps raise funds for
various Rotary charities. The 18-hole, captain's choice event also fea
tured 40 different door prizes at the post-toumey party and had 29 hole
sponsors.
Ned Eddy won two of the four closesl-to-the-pin contests during the
tournament with Rick Ward and Mason Barber winning the other two.
LION'S PAW
GOLF LINKS
Preview Special
9 Holes Open
Bent Grass Greens
9 HOLES
Green Fee & Cart $10
18 HOLES
Green Fee & Cart $15
GOOD THROUGH JULY 15, 1991
(919)579-1801
1-800-233-1801
Follow Hwy. 17 to 904
Turn East toward
Sunset Beach, NC
4 4 People
come to me for
good rates...
they
stay for my
Good Neighbor
service.
(All. ME.
DW1GHT
FLANAGAN
Phone 754-9923
Jet. Hwy. 17 & 211
PO Box 78
Supply, NC 28462
State I'arm
Insurance < < tmpanics
I Ionic Olticvv llliH>mint>lon Illinois
I.ikc a good neighbor.
State Farm is there.
BB-2
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For Less Green
Presented By; RiyerOakS.
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TO SUIT YOUR TIME AND POCKET
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Both courses ranked in Myrtle Beaches top five
^ Havers For $50. /TV
Lfunt courses rurmcu ...
2 Players For $50.
Tee Time Reservations before 12:00 noon
2 Players For $40.
Tee Time Reservations 12 noon-5 pm
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. Tee Time Reservations after 5 pm
Back Nine Only
i y Bird Special ? 2 Players for $20
tTee Time Reservations Before 7:30
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<803),A4'Si?V;V.ASHORES
- R,VEROAKS(p2f6!^'
"oF
Johnson, John Cowic and Paul
Keclcy won the Bricrwood Men's
Golf Association two best ball event
last Thursday with a score of 126.
Finishing four strokes back in
second placc was die team of Joe
Reiter, Dave Harper, Bob Sterner
and Bill Goldsberry.
On June 17, the foursome of
Hank Culp, Emilc Vrydaghs, Bob
Hoke and Jim Roach shot 149 and
won the team event at Bricrwood.
Teams counted the low gross and
high net scores on each hole.
Second placc went to the team of
Roy Havenga, John Cowie and Paul
Kceley with a 153.
Br/erwood
Homeowners
Tony and Joanna Maglione shot a
net 57 to win the Bricrwood Home
owners best ball golf tournament
June 15.
Other top couples included Jim
and Marje Roach with 58, Gene and
Jan Loflin with 59 and Jack and
Lou Akers with 60.
Odie and Marian Johnson shot
net 61 to tie the pairing of Joe and
Rose Reiter. Three other couples
tied for sixth place at net 62.
Sea Trail Ladies
Shirley Hclmkc fired a 44.5 to
win ihc Sea Trail Ladies Golf
Association "tee to green" low net
tournament last week.
Joanne Rowc placed second with
net 45. Other top finishers were
Louisa Nicol with 48.5 and Elsie
Bolick with 49.5.
Closest to the pin winners were
Nancy Mchnc at the third hole,
Ruth Kivett at the fifth, Pat Burk
hart at the 1 1 th and Betty Dawley at
the 17th.
On June 12, the team of Betty
Dawley, Mary Pcnficld, Lois Pike
and Rosemary Walker shot 131 to
win a two best ball event.
Finishing two shots back in sec
ond place was the foursome of
Nancy Mchne, Jane Bye, Carol
Peters and Elsie Bolick.
Sea Trail Men
Doug Mchne, Bill Pike and Dale
Stanton teamed up to win the Sea
Trail Men's Golf Association's
"Dick Zinzer Open" June 18.
Second place in the three-man
captain's choice event went to Keith
Curry, Louis Grace and Hugh
Bolick.
Cypress Bay Golf Club
Wednesday
Captain's Choice
Call by 2 pm on Wednesday & be paired by Club.
5 pm Tee Off - 9 holes $20??
Includes Green Fee-Golf Cart, Cook Out & Prizes
(803)249-1025 For Details
Hwy. 17, Little River, SC
BB 1
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Attention Golfers:
?SUMMER SPECIAL
Play All Day- $
leave and return ... 40.UU
?AFTER 12 NOON SPECIAL
Green fee & cart. ..^22. 00
?TWILIGHT SPECIAL
3 'til dark
Green fee & cart...
3-DAY PASSES
Includes green fees and cart. Play
anytime over q 4-day periocl??Q
5-DAY PASSES
Includes green fees and cart. Play
anytime over a 7-day period?gQ
Call for tee times 754-4660
-OR
MUST PRESENT
AD FOR
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s17.00
IBRIF.RWOOP
[GOLF CLUB'
^ ^ Hwy. 179 ? at Shallotte City Limits J|j
'One of the
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in the world.'
Golf Magazine]
15
| Super Summer Special |
OCEAN HARBOUR
? GOLF LINKS ?
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GOOD THRU AUGUST, 1991
GREEN FEE ..$25
CART FEE $12
FREE CART
WITH
3-DAY PASS
$75 with coupon
C1M1 THE BRUNSWICK 9E ACON
Calabash
NC (919)579 3588 ? SC (803)448-8398
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