Instruction

When putting, this PGA Tour winner says forget about keeping your head still

July 06, 2017
Keep an easy grip on your putter

J.D. Cuban

Is there any piece of advice more common in golf than, “Keep your head down”? Probably not. And it makes sense, especially for putting. You’re going to have a hard time making putts if you’re lifting your head up to peek and see where the ball is rolling. But Johnson Wagner, who’s won three times on the PGA Tour, says there’s a different body part you should think about keeping motionless during putts.

“Everyone says you should keep your head still on short putts,” Wagner says, “but I’ve found that if you try to lock in your eyes or your head, your stroke can become restricted. One of the best tips I ever got was to forget about my head and instead try to keep my rear end still. If that doesn’t move, the core of the body stays in place. That gives me a stable base on every putt, which helps with consistency.”

While picking your head up is bad for your putting, being rigid is just as detrimental. Give Wagner’s tip a try and see if helps you keep your body both still and relaxed while you putt.