Putting - Downswing

An article by: Bobby Eldridge on 12-17-2007
This article has been read 9449 times.

Putting Instruction -Downswing

OK I know it seems obvious if you go back straight you have to come down straight and of course follow through straight. This is where it gets a little tricky.

There are a couple of things that can happen along the way back down to the ball. The most common mistake I have seen over the past 30 odd years is the right shoulder turns in the downswing and it doesn't TILT down. I think I am going to write a golf book and call it "That Darn RIGHT Shoulder". It seems to raise its ugly head in chipping, pitching, full swing and now putting.

Do Not Turn Your Shoulders

As the putter arrives at the top of the backswing, we have this incredible desire to turn the right shoulder back into the golf ball instead of simply letting the "Y" swing back down on the same path it went back up on.(#32)

Pushing Your Putts?

The second most common mistake is to swing the putter from inside to out and push your putts. The backswing goes back straight but at the top you swing the putter back down inside of the line and follow through to the outside.(#33)

The next step is directly related to this step. The left shoulder tilting up in the downswing can only take place if you swing the putter straight back down in the downswing. These two steps go hand in hand. If the downswing is not on a straight line into the back of the golf ball, the left shoulder will not tilt up in the follow through.

Use a Straight-Edge to Check Yourself

There is nothing like a baseboard or a straight edge to help you get back on track. I will tell you another great place to practice your stroke; you do not have to use a golf ball either. Go to the edge of the green and look for a straight edge of the fringe where the mower cut a straight line. It does not have to be a long cut it can be three or four feet long, just enough so you can practice watching your stroke go back and forth on a straight line.

When You are Putting Poorly - Go Back to the Fundamentals

Keep this one thought in mind before we head to the next chapter. Most of the times when you are struggling with your stroke you have to go all the way back to the basics. FUNDAMENTALS. There are no short cuts. If you think your stroke is out to in during the downswing, you have to start from the beginning. See, it could be ball position, shoulder alignment, posture etc.

It is much easier to go back to the foundation and start over. If you do not have the luxury of having someone that can pin point your mistake-you should start from the beginning and then you will find the mistake quicker.