Putt Like a Pro 3 - Pete Cowan

Blend backswing and through-swing into one smooth and continuous on-line stroke

What I most like about the Zen putter is that it teaches you not only to understand the basic principles of good putting but also to recognise the symptoms of basic faults as and when they creep into your stroke. The ‘Tracker' exercise that you see here is another example of the information the Zen can give you. The idea is that as you lengthen your stroke (and ideally you would rehearse this from further out, say 10 or 15 feet from the hole), you release the ball held within the aperture away from the hole to check the path of your backswing. The two faults pictured (Below) illustrate the problems that the Zen can help you to solve. We would all agree that the laws of physics dictate that the stroke runs very slightly inside the line going back (progressively so the longer the backswing) but this is much too severe (top left).

Fault: Too far inside	Fault: Outside the line
Ordinarily you would rehearse this ‘Tracker' exercise from 10 or 15 feet, where the length of the backswing would enable you to release the ball that is within the aperture away from the hole. But hopefully you get the drift; releasing the ball in this direction tells you all you need to know about the path of your backswing. Here it is too much inside the line, the released ball running severely inside the string.	Another common fault: the putter has this time wandered slightly outside the line going back, a fact that is immediately confirmed as the ball rolls under and to the outside outside of the string. Faults such as these require that you make compensations to get back on track – compensations that are never consistent.

I'm moving the putter too much on the inside and the released ball confirms it. In contrast, if the released ball cuts across the string and goes outside the line, that tells me I am taking the putter back outside. This instant feedback tells me what the problem is and what I have to work on. If the path of my stroke seems to be OK and yet I was still missing putts, I
would check the alignment of the putter-face. This will provide some more valuable information that you will be able to act on immediately.

Making that solid pendulum stroke – built up on sound fundamentals – sees the putter track beautifully back and forth (above). The ball that is released backwards runs just slightly inside the line, while the ball that is struck just as it should be (on the up) rolls straight in the hole...

Roll 'em in, one after the other . . .

The ‘Tracer' exercise is designed to improve your acceleration through impact and again provides immediate feedback on your accuracy. From the four- to six-foot range, you simply place a ball in the aperture, then set up to a putt as normal, and with a smooth stroke set about rolling both of the balls towards the hole. The trick is to maintain the gap between them, and the guys on tour who are really good at this are able to do this perfectly as they roll the two balls at the same speed into the middle of the hole – just another exercise that not only makes practising with the Zen fun but, ultimately, more rewarding.

Tour players can often be seen on the practice green using a mirror to check their posture and to make sure that their eyes are over the line of the putt. That is crucial. A lot of golfers stand with their eye-line too far inside the line to the hole, which means they are not viewing their subject properly. The Xtend-Align system seen here is perfect for keeping these fundamentals in check. And because the string is supported a few inches above the surface, it is never in the way and gives you terrific feedback on every putt.

With your left hand behind your back, it's amazing how quickly using the right hand only improves the quality of the strike. Because the right hand doesn't ‘drive' at it, you release the whole of the shaft down the line. That's what Tiger Woods does when he putts well – which is pretty much all the time. People perceive that he releases the head, which would mean the butt-end goes backwards and cannot go up. He doesn't. He releases the whole of the shaft. Which means the butt-end comes up. So work on this exercise as often as you possibly can.
Don't bother with aiming at a hole. This is all about the quality of the strike. Work on releasing the putter and focus on the quality of your strike. I guarantee that if you spend some time doing this you will notice a great improvement in the way you roll the ball.