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 r & mint>lon Illinois I.ikc a good neighbor. State Farm is there. BB-2 More Golf For Less Green Presented By; RiyerOakS. Shc^ ----- ' n ~ 18 HOLE G0DF Sl'hLiALD TO SUIT YOUR TIME AND POCKET .'v.. : 7 ? . ? :? ? 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 2 Players For $30. . Tee Time Reservations after 5 pm Back Nine Only i y Bird Special ? 2 Players for $20 tTee Time Reservations Before 7:30 AN rates include power cart <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 \ n 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 DISCOUNTS s17.00 IBRIF.RWOOP [GOLF CLUB' ^ ^ Hwy. 179 ? at Shallotte City Limits J|j 'One of the 10 best golf courses in the world.' Golf Magazine] 15 | Super Summer Special | OCEAN HARBOUR ? GOLF LINKS ? il I I I L 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 I I I