Ball position, impact and loft

When hitting a putt, one of our major goals is to get the ball rolling as soon as possible, we have discussed in previous articles that the reason we need loft on our putter face is to assist in lifting the ball out of the small indent the ball sits it when it comes to rest. It does not sit up on the green as most people think it does.

The amount of loft that you have on your putter is very important to good putting. When determining the correct loft, we need to assess three things:

1) BALL POSITION
2) HAND POSITION AT IMPACT
3) EFFECTIVE LOFT

BALL POSITION
The further forward you position the ball the more loft you will likely have on the putter face at impact. Determine where you position the ball when you putt.

HAND POSITION AT IMPACT
Assess whether you have your hands forward, in line or back at impact when you strike the ball. Also, whether your hands are rising as you strike the ball.

EFFECTIVE LOFT
The factors above combine to determine the true (effective loft) you have on the putter face when you putt as opposed to what you think you have. Most golfers that visit me at The Sydney Putting Studio don’t know what loft their putter has, let alone what they should have.

I am surprised just how many people report back to me that their putting has dramatically improved when we determine the correct putter specifications FOR THEM, rather than the standard specs the company built it with.

Putting is nearly half of the game, but most golfers continue to spend most of their time practicing their long game which in my view is a concern. It’s critical to spend a significant amount of your practice time on the putting green.

The good news is we have a putter lie and loft machine that allows us to assess and adjust people’s putters during a session.  Check with your local PGA Professional to see if they offer a similar system.

  glenn whittle, golf instruction, putting