If you want to become a better putter in a hurry, it’s imperative to develop a stroke that’s both easily repeatable and free of unnecessary body twisting and rolling from side to side. The best (and fastest) way to do that is to drive your putting stroke not with your arms and hands, but with your shoulders moving up and down as you swing the putter back and through on the correct path.
One way to develop a shoulder-driven putting stroke is to practice this simple drill that helps you align the putter perpendicular to the movement of your shoulders. Although I’m calling this a drill, it’s something you can do before every putt.
Start with the putter out in front of your abdomen and parallel to the ground, forming a 90-degree angle with your upper body. Next, flex your knees and bend from your waist until the putterhead touches the ground. From this position, your shoulders are engaged and in position to easily rock up and down without any unnecessary rolling or swaying of the upper body, arms, hands or even your wrists. You’ll quickly see and feel how easy it is to make a stroke with the shoulders and swing the putter on a more consistent path.
Chuck Cook was inducted into the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame in 2016.