Alignment is one of the most important aspects when it comes to putting in golf.
When your alignment is off, your putt will be off, and you'll soon likely be scribbling big numbers on your scorecard. Putting-alignment practice techniques will help you learn how to properly align your body, the putter and the ball to ensure you're giving yourself the best chance to sink that birdie putt the next time you're on the green.
Putting makes up 35-45 percent of all golf strokes during a round. Golfers can improve their game drastically by learning to align themselves correctly and roll the ball on that line.
Good alignment during putting is essential to making putts shorter than 10 feet and lagging long putts close enough to the hole that they can be tapped in.
Some helpful tips to ensure you are on the right track:
#1: On the practice green, put two tees in the ground about 3 feet from the hole. Space the tees out the same distance as the length of your putter head. This forms a "gate" for the putter head. Practice hitting short putts so the putter head goes through the gate before hitting the ball. This will keep the putter properly aligned through contact.
#2: Practice your body alignment by setting up in your normal putting stance in front of a full-length mirror. Stand so the mirror is where the hole would be, set up in your stance and turn your head to look at the mirror, you shouldn't be able to see your right side if you're right-handed or your left side if you're left-handed.
#3: Draw a straight line on a golf ball with a permanent marker. Practice using this line to align your putts to ensure they're on the proper line depending on the speed and slope of your putt line. The line will help you set up in your stance and address the putter head to the ball.
Once you have your proper alignment you are now set up to make that next pressure putt.
Brent Derrheim is the Head Golf Professional and one of the golf instructors at Beach Grove Golf Club.
To book your next lesson, contact the professional staff at Beach Grove at 604943-9381 or golfshop@ beachgrovegolf.com
Optimist contributor
