Getty Images
Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game improvement column that will help you play smarter and better golf.
Ask anyone who regularly plays golf with me about my throwing game, and the common response will be that I’m notorious for leaving it short. I’m not talking a foot or two, but, like, truly In short – as it is halfway there on the 12 footer equation.
Given that I drop a lot of stroke, working on my shot speed is something I focused a lot on while honing my game this spring. And since there are quite a few poor pitches here or there can be a difference between a good or bad round, I’m going to guess that many of you could use some help in this area as well.
For today’s Play Smart lesson, I’ve come to mind David Orr of Flatstick Academywhich reveals the biggest mistake players make while trying to create the right shooting speed.
The common reason why gamers struggle with speed
A former GOLF Top 100 Teacher (2019), Orr helps pros like Justin Rose with their putts, and is considered one of the best teachers in the business when it comes to teaching about the flat stick.
In the video above, Orr works with Eric Cogorno, showing him the most common mistake players make when it comes to speed – and offering some tips for mitigating the problem.
All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by our editorial team. If you purchase an associated product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Prices may vary.
Arc MS-3D Dual Curve Mode Path Mode
$89.99
Putting Arc can cure bad habits you’ve formed of trying to get your putter straight back and straight across the line, and it will teach you the precision needed to be a consistently great putter.
Short swim with excessive acceleration through contact
According to Orr, the first velocity killer is something most amateurs do regularly: take a very short backstroke distance, and increase the acceleration a lot when they hit the ball. When a player does this, it is common for the ball to be left short, as it is more of a thrusting motion than a smooth swinging motion.
To fix this problem, Orr suggests taking the following steps.
Do this: Control the stroke length first
The first thing Orr does with his students is stress how to control stroke length.
“On a short throw, we have to have a short backswing and a short follow through that mirror to each other. Roughly the same length back the same length,” Orr says. [the ball] As a general rule.
“If I had a short five-foot inside putt, the putter might not go past my feet and go past my feet.”
Do this: Center the swing arc on the ball
Then, Orr says, make sure your backstroke and follow-up mirror each other, which will help keep the center of your swing arc closer to the ball.
“If you take a very long backward swing and stop, the center of the arc will be too far back,” he says. “So we learn symmetry to get the center of the arc closer to the ball. It also helps us make sure that the center of the club is going as fast as possible on impact.
“There are a lot of good things that will happen [when the center of the arc is at the ball]. The maximum speed will be there. We hope the face is close to zero. Hopefully, the path will be closer to zero.”
Do this: Learn to transfer energy at the right time
For someone like me, who seems to leave every hit over 10 feet away, Orr has a simple reminder: Transmit energy at the right time to improve speed.
“The best acceleration rackets in the world tend to have no acceleration [on downhill putts]Orr says. “It is neither accelerating nor decelerating.
“Lift up, because they have to add more power, there might be acceleration at zero, or a little higher. But they don’t step hard on the throttle—you have to know when to hit the gas and when to hit the brake.
“Understand where the work is going; both during the backstroke, and the transition in the bottom stroke.”
By incorporating Orr’s tips, hobbyists who struggle with putting speed will begin to see better connectivity. So instead of hitting just 12 feet halfway to the cup—leave yourself another six feet to save the bogey—you’ll have more stress-free flicks.