Golf instruction is always evolving, but the best tips stand the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Lifetime Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice that teachers and players have shared in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we have a tip from legendary shortstop coach Dave Pelz from our October 1999 issue.
The game of golf has evolved in many ways throughout history, but one thing has remained constant: putting is an essential skill. From Elder Tom Morris and Harry Vardon to Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau, putting has always been a premium skill.
If you’ve come across this article, there’s a good chance you’re looking to improve your setup. If this rings true, you’re in luck.
In the 1999 issue of GOLF magazine, Hall of Fame instructor Dave Pelz explained a simple game for improved placement. And it’s so easy to implement, you don’t need to be a pro to take advantage of it. See below.
Great putting game by Dave Pelz
Last month, I explained that the optimal path to the hole for a putt is usually higher than you think. Based on my studies of putting speed and direction, I learned that this optimal line for starting your shots is about three-quarters of the way between the lowest and highest possible lines that will allow you to find the hole. I call this optimal line the “high road”.
Taking the high road—playing more break rather than less—makes sense for many reasons: A ball is more likely to drop down into the hole on the high side than on the low side; it also encourages the ball to spin at a slower rate, meaning it’s less likely to run too far if it misses the hole.
However, knowing what to do and actually doing it are often two different things, especially in golf. So to help you learn to visualize this optimum break and speed on the greens you play, try a game called “Too High”.
On the practice green, find a 10- to 20-foot putt with four to five inches of rest. Extend a piece of twine from behind the hole and aim your ball, passing right over the center of the cup. The string should extend at least six feet on either side of the hole. (Elevate the string at least two inches above the green by tying it to two pencils and using them as posts.)
Grab a friend and decide who decides first. (While you can practice on your own, you’ll learn much faster by competing, although your friend’s putting will also improve.) Shot A chooses a spot to putt from anywhere along the line indicated by the range, between six and 20 yards away, and from this spot tries to place his ball as close to the hole as possible, but stopping – over – on the high side. If any part of the ball touches the string or rolls under it, if the ball goes into the hole, that player cannot win.
If player A ends up under the line in any way, player B, calling from the same point, need only leave the ball over the line to win. While this may seem easy, players who try to hit “good” shots often let t heir ball go down the line. Then there is no winner. If both balls land above the string, the one closest to the hole wins.
When a player wins, they take the honor, pick another spot six to 20 yards away along the line, and they go at it again. If neither player wins, whoever placed second last time takes the honor. So there is only one simple rule: Whoever lands the ball closest to the hole and over the line wins. (This is why a ball that lands in the hole is a loser: it is actually touching the line.)
When playing Too-High for the first time, the winner is the first player to be six holes ahead. As you improve, play until one player is nine. Remember, the point of the game is not to make putts, but to learn what it looks and feels like to putt high.
When you enter the course, you will feel, feel and see where the “Too High” lines are, which are pretty much the same as the highest possible lines to make your breaking shots. If you play three-quarters of that rest (from the lowest possible line), you’ll be playing the optimal rest for all of your shots.
;)
