By Jim Flick
Photo By Dom Furore
November 2007
In the late 1940s, Lew Worsham, the '47 U.S. Open champion, would often visit his younger brother, Buddy, at Wake Forest and help him with his game. (Buddy, who was Arnold Palmer's best friend, died in an automobile accident when I was a sophomore at Wake.)
Lew would tell the guys on the team to play right-to-left putts with the ball one ball-width back of normal. This encourages you to hit the putt more into the hill with the face square to slightly open. That promotes starting the ball on the high side of the line and allows you to make a firmer stroke.
Likewise, do the opposite on left-to-right putts: Play the ball one ball-width forward. That ensures you release the putterhead fully, so the ball starts slightly left of your line, instead of veering off to the low side of the hole, which is so common among less-experienced players.
Change Positions
Good putters "roll" the ball with their eyes along the correct line before they take the putter back (above). The different ball positions (right) help me start on a more forgiving line.
Ranked No. 5 by his peers among Golf Digest's 50 Greatest Teachers, Flick is based at the TaylorMade Performance and Research Lab in Carlsbad, Calif. View more tips from Jim Flick.
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