Putting is perhaps the most important skill in golf. It doesn’t matter if you hit the ball a mile or flag every short iron if you can’t roll the rock. You must be solid with the flatstick if you want to post low scores.
Putting is perhaps also the most vexing element of golf as well. It’s typical of putts to travel a short distance, so it should be easy, right? That’s not always the case. Getting the ball to behave on the short grass is harder than it looks.
Just like the golf swing, every person has their own flair when it comes to the putting stroke. Ben Crenshaw was languid with his smooth stroke, while Bryson DeChambeau is rigid and exacting. There’s no one technique that is required to be a good putter.
While there is no technique that is must be used to put a solid roll on the ball, there are certain elements that do help with consistency. One of those elements is keeping your front wrist solid through the stroke.
The reason it’s important to keep your wrist solid during the stroke is that when you break the wrist, you are using small muscles that are harder to control. When using large muscles, like those in your shoulders, it’s much easier to move them in a consistent manner.
Lee Westwood recently shared a simple drill on Instagram that can help golfers who break their wrists during the stroke, and all you need is your putter and a tee.
First, bend the tee in half, but make sure that it is still connected throughout. Next, put the end of the tee in the top of your putter grip with the opposite end facing your lead wrist. From there, all you need to do is make your normal putting stroke.
If done correctly, the tee will never touch your lead wrist. If it does, you know that you’ve broken your wrist during the stroke.
Do you have the right putter for your stroke? Find out with a putter fitting from the experts at our affiliate company, True Spec Golf.
