Every time I go to the range I learn something new. This is the start of a series of posts telling you what that was so you can go try it out for yourself.<\/p>\n
1. Reading subtle breaks<\/b>
I have noticed that I can stand to the side of someone putting and tell if they will miss to the right or left. I’m always, correct, too. I got to wondering what it was I was seeing from that angle. Maybe it was something difficult to see from behind the ball, which was why all those putts were missed.<\/p>\n
I set a ball down on the practice green about fifteen feet away from the hole on a flattish surface and looked at the putt from both sides (at a right angle to the line of the putt). It was clear that on one side I was looking into a slope and on the other side I was looking down the slope. That was not clear when I looked at the putt from behind.<\/p>\n
Then I stepped behind the ball and looked toward the hole. Like I say, the ground looked flattish. So I took one big step to the right and saw the ground coming toward me. I went to a point one step to the left of the ball and saw the ground falling away from me. It could not have been clearer.<\/p>\n
This meant the putt would break to the right. I aimed inside left, and the ball went in. Easy as that. <\/p>\n
I tried reading the break in this way on many different spots around this rather large green, and the two looks from just off to either side always told the truth. <\/p>\n
Now most of the time it’s obvious that the green breaks one way or another. But there are times when you can’t tell. This method fixes up those putts that you swear will go straight in, but miss to one side by two inches. <\/p>\n
2. Problematic chip <\/b>
I had a shot around the green in the last two rounds I played that gave me fits. It was a short chip over a mound to a tight pin. I have 8-10 yards of mound to carry, and about half that distance to stop the ball. Long story short, here’s the shot I came up with. <\/p>\n
Take out a lob wedge. Play the ball back of center. Take the club generous distance back for this short of a shot, and let the clubhead fall into the ball. Don’t swing the club, just let it drop in a controlled way. Hit down on the ball and there won’t be much of a follow-through. <\/p>\n
The ball pops up and lands with enough roll left to get to the pin. When I tried this with a sand wedge, the ball rolled out too far.<\/p>\n
Hope this all helps.<\/p>\n
My new book, The Golfing Self<\/i><\/b>, is now available at www.therecreationalgolfer.com<\/a>. It will change everything about the way you play.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Every time I go to the range I learn something new. This is the start of a series of posts telling you what that was so you can go try it out for yourself. 1. Reading subtle breaks I have noticed that I can stand to the side of someone putting and tell if they … Continue reading What I learned at the range – 1<\/span>