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| Putting
with a Quarter.
Bobby Locke, the first South African golfer to win a major
championship, defeated Sam Snead 12 times out of 14 in a
series of head-to-head competitions in 1946. Locke, who
won the British Open four times, was an extremely good putter.
He always said, “Putt and listen.”
I agree.
The only time I want my students to keep their head still
is when they are standing over a putt. The head naturally
moves a little during the golf swing, but it should remain
still while putting.
The “quarter putting drill” is one of the best
ways to practice keeping your head still and eyes trained
on the ball. If you have a tendency to follow the putter
with your eyes on the way back or on the way through, then
this drill is perfect for you.
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| Here
is the setup, with the quarter resting on top of the
ball.. |
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The
drill is a purposeful distraction. Place a quarter on top
of a ball, go through your normal routine, hit the putt, watch
the quarter hit the ground and listen for the sound the ball
makes when it falls in the cup.
You can do this drill with long putts and short ones, but
it might be most useful in the two- to five-foot range.
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| Trey
has his eyes fixed on the quarter. |
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| In
your pre-shot routine, while making practice strokes, look
at a spot you intend to roll the ball over into the cup.
If your eyes are down during practice strokes, they tend
to judge where the putter is swinging and start to follow
the putter back and through.
Learn to feel the distance in the practice strokes by looking
at a spot in the cup. Then learn how to keep your eyes still
and listen for the ball in the bottom of the cup.
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| Trey
still has his eyes fixed on the quarter, waiting for
that pleasant sound the ball makes falling into the
cup!. |
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Great Golf, Neil Wilkins |
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