YouTube/Matt Friar Golf
There are a lot of tips that amateurs can use to improve their golf game. Some of them focus on reading greens, while others can be more basic (yet important!), offering advice on where to put a golf ball when using the flat.
No matter what advice you subscribe to, I believe simpler is better.
As someone who often uses comparisons to get their point across or get something across, I appreciate the following status tip from Luke Donald.
In the video below, Donald shares an easy visualization, describing how the act of hammering a nail can improve your putting stroke. Check out his tips below.
How nail hammering can help you find the perfect stroke
One of the more cool things mentioned in the video is Donald’s 483 holes without putting three. With that kind of consistency, it’s easy to trust the 45-year-old Englishman and former world number one.
As Donald mentions in the video, “The best thing is learning how to get the right acceleration for the ball, and getting the right hit. If you can hit the ball right every time, you won’t be left with those six, seven, or eight hits.”
“If you can get it within the three-foot distance that we know in the round, we’ll make 99.9 percent of our strikes within three feet.”
Donald then goes on to share one of the most common mistakes he sees with amateurs – rushing into putts.
“The big mistake I see with amateurs is that they think they need to speed up,” Donald says. So they take it back for a little while, and hurry up [through the backswing]; Which creates a weak strike.
“You actually want to be a little taller [in the backswing]and accelerate toward the ball, and have a slightly shorter follow-up approx.”
This is where Donald says the idea of hammering the nail can help define your situation.
“An analogy I like is if you have a hammer and a nail. If you’re trying to get that nail into wood, you won’t [push, you would swing]and you’ll get that good, solid hit on the back of the nail.
“[By doing that], it creates a more efficient swing, a better stroke, and you can control distance better… A short, tight finish is what you’ll see from many tour pros. “
So try using this putting tip as a way to improve your pace control on the greens. With a long and short putt, not only will you be more efficient, but you’ll also put the ball closer to the hole – helping you avoid frustrating three-putts.
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