Using a forward press can fix your putting stroke — here’s how

Golf instruction is ever-evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Timeless Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice teachers and players have dispensed in the pages of GOLF Magazine. This week, we look back at a guide for implementing the forward press from our September 1975 issue. For unlimited access to the full GOLF Magazine digital archive, join InsideGOLF today; you’ll enjoy $140 of value for only $39.99/year.

Putting is one of the most artistic elements of golf. There are a variety of ways to be successful on the greens, and what works for one person might not work for the next. Ben Crenshaw — one of the all-time great putters — put it succinctly in an interview with GOLF.com several years ago:

“Harvey Penick said something that I’ve never heard any other teacher say,” Crenshaw said. “He said ‘Don’t putt like someone else.’”

The most important thing is finding a stroke that works for you. As long as you’re comfortable with it (and the results are there), it doesn’t matter what it looks like. Just make sure it’s consistent.

Consistency can be achieved in a variety of ways, but one of the easiest methods is by eliminating variables. If you can keep things simple, it’s much easier to find consistency.

Using the wrists in the putting stroke is a polarizing subject. Some of the best players in the game’s history have used a wrist-y putting stroke, while others have eliminated the wrists all together. There’s no right or wrong technique when it comes to the wrists, but for most recreational players (most of whom don’t practice every day), using the wrists is inviting inconsistency into the stroke.

One of the best ways to eliminate the wrists from the stroke is by implementing a forward press. Below, you’ll find a forward press explainer courtesy of instructor Cookie DeAndrea from the September 1975 issue of GOLF Magazine.

Keys to the forward press

To putt well you must develop a stroke that allows as little wrist movement as possible in the backswing and followthrough.

One of the common faults that causes many players to be wristy is having the hands behind the ball at address. This puts the right hand in control and forces the left to “hinge” during the stroke. 

To eliminate this wristiness, make sure that your hands are slightly ahead at address. This will automatically create an even balance between the two hands and allow your backstroke to be smoother. 

In the follow through, your hands (see below) should lead the putterhead through to the hole. These two simple thoughts will eliminate wristiness, give you a solid stroke, a solid strike and make you a consistent putter.