Putting Tips - Ball Position

There's a joke that says that all putts go straight when you hit them. It's what happens next that changes. One way to make sure your puts go where you want them to go is to have proper ball position.

Ball position matters to your putting because it makes sure that all the energy from the swinging of the club properly gets transferred to the ball, and results in a consistent roll. No matter what stroke style you use, the putter will rise before the ball, and just after the ball is struck. The very bottom of the stroke is usually right in the center of your stance. If the ball is not positioned at the point in the putter's path where it is firmly straight on its target, the ball will go askew, based on if the ball is too far forward, or too far back in your stance. This is why you sometimes see putts "bounce" after they are struck, because they weren't hit at the exact poing when the club face is straight.

Many top golfers prefer the triangle, or shoulder stroke, which involves keeping your elbows tucked into your ribs, and swaying using your entire torso. This actually creates a flatter swing, and gives you a longer period of time when your putter is flush and facing the right direction, on both sides of the ball. The club head might still be moving downward or upward when you make contact, but as long as you hit your putt at the right time, you should still generate a smooth roll.

The preferred spot to hit the ball is just after the lowpoint in the swing. That is, the putter should be coming "up" to meet the ball. So the ball needs to be positioned a little bit forward of the bottom of the arc, or about 1-2 inches forward of being exactly in the middle of your stance. For a right-handed putter, this means that the ball should be just inside of your left heel. Hitting the ball at this point of the swing transfers the right amount of energy, and sends the ball rolling smoothly.

In the triangle stroke, you keep the face of the putter in the same orientation to the path you want the ball to take the entire length of the swing. This is called a "hands free" swing sometimes. If you keep the triangle solid, the putter face will be forced to return squarely and impact the ball without your hands having to do anything other than hold the club and stay out of the way. This can be hard to do, as your hands naturally want to act. But you want to keep the putting stroke quiet, and use only your shoulders and torso, and not allow your hands to skew the stroke in any way. Pull the club straight back, and follow it through the ball. Keep the stroke solid, square and simple, and it will remain on the line you had desired.