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Golf Digest Woman Blog: golfdigest.com

Tips for Her: Get a putter fitting

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Many golfers get club fittings, but most of them focus on their drivers or irons. Even though the putter is the most important club in your bag, the majority of consumers purchase them directly off of the shelf. Some golfers don't want to invest in a putter that is custom fitted because it's a bit more expensive, however, many golfers buy six or seven others in their quest to find one that "works."

What is "standard length"?
The standard length of a putter in the golf industry is 35 inches, and it will most likely not be right for you. This length is generally right for someone who is roughly six feet tall, or six feet two inches.

Can I cut my putter down?
If you cut down your putter, the weight of the club will also change. Take your putter and grip down on the shaft, near the head (see image, below). Does the clubhead feel just was heavy? No. The shorter you hold the putter, the lighter the head will feel. There are things you can do to improve the weight of the putter, but a custom-fit putter that is built specifically for you is always the best option.

Why is this important?
A putter of the correct length will allow you to get into the proper setup, and it won't force you to adjust your setup. A putter that is balanced with the correct head weight will optimize speed control. A beginner student that I fitted for a putter told me, "I can finally feel the 'tic, toc' that everyone is talking about." She was commenting on the sensation of letting the club swing naturally, like a pendulum.

Everyone has their own unique length due to preferences and body composition. The best way to get fit is to see a PGA or LPGA professional that is a certified putter fitter.

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Tips for Her: Hold the finish

Monday, June 10, 2013

By Megan Padua

The finish of your golf swing is like a crime scene; it holds the evidence of what happened. So it's important to observe the finish position of your body and observe the flight of the ball.

For full swings, I always pick a target and focus on finishing with my "eyes at the target, belt buckle at the target, and back foot on my toe". Each shot should have a "statue finish" that you hold for two to three seconds. This opportunity to rest, relax, and reflect help you make more efficient golf swings and understand what happened when it goes wrong.

When it comes to shots that aren't full swings, such as pitches, chips and putts, many golfers fail to define their finish position. In a putting stroke, holding the finish means staying in posture by maintaining the alignment of your shoulders. For a chip, the arms and club will form the shape of a "Y" and the finish will be low. When hitting a pitch shot, the length of the through swing should be a mirror image of the backswing (your arms, for example, should swing from a 9 o'clock position to a 3 o'clock position).

Ultimately, when you finish your swing, I want you to commit, stick it, and be confident.

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Tips for Her: Every putt is a straight putt

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

By Megan Padua

When reading the green, many golfers identify the apex of their putt. The apex is the highest point of the curve caused by the putt's break (see image).

The concept of the apex, however, can be misleading. From the moment you hit your golf ball, it begins to fall downhill due to gravity. In the image, the line on which the string is aimed is much higher than the apex indicated. If I had aimed at the apex, then I would've had to have hit it at an incorrect speed or have manipulated my stroke.

The next time you practice putting, place a string in a straight line to where you see the break. Test your read by hitting putts with the sole purpose of starting your ball down the line of the string. If you miss the hole on the low side, you are probably under-reading the break. It's better to miss on the high side and read too much break, giving yourself a greater chance to make the putt.

Try it at home: You can make your own inexpensive training aid by tying string to two sewing needles.

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Tips for Her: A simple guide to uneven lies

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

By Megan Padua

Uneven lies are tricky, mostly because it's difficult to practice them on a driving range. Whether the ball is above your feet, below your feet or on a sidehill lie, you'll have to adjust your stance, aim and swing accordingly, because the ball will curve off the slope.

To adjust to an uphill or downhill lie, hold the club shorter or longer depending of the severity of the slope. A ball above your feet requires a more shallow swing, and standing taller will help you swing more around your body. A ball below your feet calls for a more vertical approach with the arms and club working in an up and down motion. To maintain your balance throughout the swing, put your weight towards the higher side of the slope so your body is supported and so you can push into the hill.

Sidehill lies are a bit different. For them, you'll want to adjust the low point of the swing by playing the ball towards the higher side of the hill. When making your club selection, remember that the hill will change the loft of your club--an uphill lie will add loft and a downhill lie will deloft your club. Also, tilt your shoulders with the slope of the hill and swing along that slope, trying to make your normal swing.

Here are a few specific things to remember if your ball is...

...Above your feet: aim right (if you're a right-handed golfer); grip down; stand tall; swing more around your body (think "U" shape); shift your weight toward your toes.

...Below your feet: aim left (if you're a right-handed golfer); hold the full length of the club; maintain your posture and squat in stance; swing up and down (think "V" shape); shift your weight toward your heels.

...On an uphill lie: play the ball towards your left foot (if you're a right-handed golfer); tilt your shoulders so they're parallel to the hill; take one extra club; aim right, since the lie will cause your ball to go left.

...On a downhill lie: play the ball towards your right foot (if you're a right-handed golfer); tilt your shoulders so they're parallel to the hill; take one less club; aim left, since the lie will cause your ball to go right.

Note: Always take a practice swing to test out the undulated surface.

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Tips for Her: Focus on speed control

Friday, May 17, 2013

By Megan Padua

On the putting green, speed is more important than aim, and it's a vital part of being an excellent putter.

The speed of a putt dictates how much it'll break. The diameter of a golf hole is 4.25 inches, and the speed of the putt can effectively narrow or widen the circumference of the hole. Too much speed will limit your break, which can cause your putt to lip out because your target is smaller. Do you ever hit putts that track directly towards the hole only to lip around the edge and miss? Even if your aim is slightly offline, a ball that travels at the correct speed can curl over the edge and into the hole. Optimizing this zone by using effective speed control can, in essence, help you putt to a larger cup. If you can putt your ball at the correct speed, you will get "lucky" more often!

How to Practice: When honing your speed control, take the hole out of the equation. Remember, your objective is to control your speed, not to make a long putt. You're far better off putting to an old cup (as shown, to the left) to see if you would've made it, while also learning how far your ball would've rolled past the hole if you had missed it.

Towel Drill: Lay out towels at different distances (as shown, below). Don't be concerned about landing your ball on the towel, however try to make your golf ball stop within the zone that you've established.

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Tips for Her: Set your club square

Thursday, May 9, 2013

By Megan Padua

Since the clubface controls where the golf ball will go, it's important to set up square to the target line.

The shape of some clubs can make this challenging. If you look at the image to the left, when the face is square, the leading edge, indicated by the red line, is parallel with the stick on the ground. If the club is in the correct position at address, the shaft should lean slightly forward, so it's ahead of the white stick. This is the way the club was designed, but many golfers confuse the purpose and try to make the shaft look centered (in line with the white stick) causing them to sacrifice the position of the face. So the next time you practice, lay down an alignment rod on the ground. If you set it down correctly, the butt of the club should lean forward of your belt buckle on all shots, as shown below.

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Tips for Her: Stop flipping at chip shots

Friday, May 3, 2013

By Megan Padua

One of the biggest mistakes golfers make in their short game is trying to help the ball up in the air by flipping their hands. Releasing the club head too early can lead to chucked shots, topped shots or even whiffs.

Try this simple drill to get rid of the dreaded flip: Next time you're at the gym, grab two kettle bells in either hand. If you don't have access to kettle bells, you can imagine the weight of two kettle bells in both hands as your arms hang in front of you. Slowly swing your arms back and through, allowing the weight to keep your hands quiet and passive.

Notice in the picture that my lead wrist remains flat through impact while holding the kettle bells. Now take your golf club in your hands, and make the same motion. Pretending to hold the weights, the objective is to hit a chip and hold a low finish as you did while holding the weights. Hitting "kettle bell chip shots" will teach you to let the club do the work.

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Tips for Her: Rehearse and recreate

Friday, April 26, 2013

Editor's note: Each week, Megan Padua, a teaching professional at Maidstone Club (East Hampton, N.Y.) and Belfair Plantation (Bluffton, S.C.), and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, offers tips and advice for women golfers.

By Megan Padua

To sharpen your feel around the green, you need to learn to visualize a shot before you execute it. Since this skill requires practice, I ask my my students to do a drill called, "Rehearse and Recreate."

Start on a putting green to master the basic rolling motion, then move back to experiment with various short game shots. When selecting the type of shot to hit around the green, think of tossing it with your hand. Rolling the ball and keeping it low to the ground is easier than trying to throw the ball up high and make it stop by the hole.

Rehearse It: Take a ball in your trail hand and roll or toss it to the hole depending on the shot you've imagined. Notice how far you swing your arm back and through and observe the break on the green. For short game shots, picture the trajectory of the shot and the ratio of how far the ball flies to how much it rolls. As you begin to see the ball react to the surface of the green, you'll learn to see the shot vividly with your imagination.

Recreate It: Now that you have a picture in your mind, use a club to recreate the roll or toss that you just rehearsed. Have an idea of the shot that you'd like to hit, commit to it, and make it reality.

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Tips for Her: Pick the right club

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

By Megan Padua

You're allowed to carry up to 14 clubs, and each one is a different tool that'll help reach your best results. But many golfers don't know how far or how high each of these clubs go. The next time you're unsure, try this trick with an iron or a wedge to better understand how far and how high it might launch:

Step on the clubface to see the angle created by the shaft. If you make solid contact, the ball will take off at this trajectory.

The golf club was designed to get the ball in the air, don't try to help it up. Using this drill, compare two of your irons and analyze the trajectory of both. The shot that goes higher will also go shorter, and the club that produces a lower flight will carry farther.

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Tips for Her: Repeat the setup

Monday, April 1, 2013

By Megan Padua

Your golf swing is the outcome of the way you set up to the ball. Many golfers want to become more consistent, but that's impossible if you're not repeating your setup.

The "1-2-3 Setup" is a process I use to introduce the pre-shot routine. Feel free to add or subtract steps to the setup process to make it work for you.

Step 1: Measure to the Ball. Once you've taken your grip, step forward with your back foot and tilt from your waist. Inch in until you reach the correct distance from the ball. Approach the ball from behind the line (see image).
Purpose: Concentrate on the placement of your hands. Stepping in with your back foot helps you find the correct distance from the ball, balance and posture. During this step you're also setting the alignment of your body and club.

Step 2: Ball Position. Place your front foot to determine the correct ball position for the club you're using. In the picture, I'm using a driver, therefore I take a small step just left of the line. The shorter the club, the more I play the ball in the middle of my stance. It's important to know, however, that ball position is unique for everyone. Find what works for you, then use this routine to make it consistent.
Purpose: Indicate the correct ball position.

Step 3: Stance Width. Take a step with your back foot to determine how wide your stance should be. I use a narrower stance for shorter shots and a wider stance as my swing gets longer to create a solid base. Think of a pyramid -- you want your base to be the widest part to form a strong foundation for full swings.
Purpose: Establish the stance and determine the stance width.

A good pre-shot routine will help you repeat your setup and hit more consistent shots. Having an efficient routine will allow you to play faster because your execution will be more precise and better quality shot-making will save countless strokes.

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