SHORT PUTTS MADE EASY - THE STRING DRILL

The String Drill Was Rated The Top Golf Putting Training Aid In A Recent Golf Magazine Study

All golfers want to putt better and/or to increase their confidence on those pesky 3-6 foot putts. Nothing is more frustrating to a golfer than missing a 6 foot putt for a birdie or a good recovery par after having hit a great shot onto the green.

Golfers are constantly searching for quick and easy putting drills to help their game. There are many complicated and expensive putting training aids on the market;but, the best solution is actually very simple and quite inexpensive- it is the "String Drill"

A leading golf magazine judged the "String Drill" as the most effective training method for rapid putting improvement. The "String Drill" is accomplished with two posts separated by six to ten feet with a string strung tautly between them.

For practice on straight putts, one post is inserted into the putting surface right behind the hole and then the second post is moved away from the hole until the string is taut. The second post is then inserted into the putting surface. The posts should be six to seven inches long so that the string is about 5 inches off of the putting surface.

The basic putting drill concept places the ball on the putting surface right under the string at a practice distance (3, 4, 5, or 6 feet) from the hole. The putter is placed under the string and the golfer's posture has their eyes over the ball or just inside the ball/string line. Then the golfer takes the putter straight back under the string keeping it below the string. And, the follow through goes down the string line and stays below the string as well. When the golfer focuses on keeping the putter under the string it will help them keep the putter face square to the hole. And, by keeping their putter below the string it will ensure that they are not "picking the putter up" on their back stroke or "lifting up" on the follow through. This will ensure solid contact and consistent roll.

The golfer may make up various challenge games to keep their practice interesting and focused. For example, the golfer can start with a 3 foot long putt and after making it then move back to a 4 foot length and so on. The idea is to see how many progressively longer putts can be made without a miss. The game will slowly increase the difficulty and pressure as a new personal record is encountered. The game can be made more challenging by putting multiple times from each distance before progressing. For example, three must be holed from three feet, then four from four feet and so on.

The same basic technique can be used on breaking putts as well. The golfer will need to offset the post from behind the hole to an aim point that will allow for the ball to break into the hole. Such a setup will help the golfer visualize breaking putts better by learning to pick out an aim point.

Once the putting stroke fundamentals are sound, distance control is the secret to becoming a good putter. If a golfer does not have good distance control they can not possibly choose the correct line on breaking putts or leave themselves reasonable length second putts after a twenty or thirty foot approach putt.

A variation of the "String Drill" for distance control practice has the golfer roll up the string on one or both posts until there is about two feet of string exposed. Then, the golfer lays the posts down on the green with the string pulled straight between them.

Starting at 4 feet and moving further and further away the golfer rolls putts towards the string line to see how close to the line they can get the ball to stop with out going over the string. By putting as series (5 to 10) of balls in each session, the golfer can observe how the pattern tightens up closer and closer to the string with multiple practice sessions.

This drill is especially valuable on ten to thirty foot putts for learning distance control. The golfer should be concentrating on varying the length of the putter back stroke, for example a longer stroke for longer distance, rather than trying to "hit" the putt harder or softer. Under competitive pressure, the length of stroke method for controlling distance is much more consistent.

Finally, out of respect for the golf course, any practice sessions should be moved around to different locations rather than staying at the same location and wearing out or marking the putting surface.

John "Sandy" Reese is the founder of Golf Lab and the inventor of the REESO Putter. The REESO putter is the ultimate game improvement putter. It uses a patented rear mount shaft design to produce an "Auto Tracking" putting stroke. The open frame mallet head design frames the golf ball for ease of alignment. Its patent pending "Easy Fit" shaft mounting design allows the golfer to easily adjust the putter lie angle for a perfect fit. And, it maintains perfect face balance at any line angle from 10 degrees to 22 degrees. A soft feel and good distance control are achieved using a patent pending vertical groove face design. Dual weight ports allow the golfer to adjust putter weight over a wide range to accommodate various playing conditions and personal preferences. The REESO putter is available right or left handed in lengths from 29 inches to 54 inches. Conventional, Mid/Belly, Long/Broomstick, and Face-On/Side Saddle styles are offered. This USGA conforming design even permits use of interchangeable shaft/grip units. So, for example, a golfer can have a Conventional and a Belly style putter using the same putter head.

Golf Lab (REESO Putters) offers a color illustrated Free Report for putting improvement entitled "Stop Missing Short Putts. Filled with up to date putting improvement tips and drills, it is a must read. To receive your free copy that you can read online or print out go here Free Putting Report

You may also see a brief video and read about the features and benefits of the new REESO VTX Putter Family For Conventional, Belly, Long, Side Saddle and Face-On Styles here See The New REESO VTX Putter Family