By Jim McLean
Photos By Dom Furore
November 2008
There are a few things to know when it comes to making a good putting stroke, such as keeping the body relatively still, allowing the arms and hands to work together and hitting the ball solidly. Jackie Burke and Bob Toski came up with a drill years ago that hones a great stroke without cluttering your mind with mechanics.
Whether you're in your living room or on the practice green, place a sneaker on the ground, and address the heel with your putter. Your goal is to "putt" the sneaker, trying to move it forward a few inches. You want to give the back of it a good pop, which will help ingrain the feeling of a solid strike. This promotes a forward-leaning shaft and a flat left wrist at impact.
Spend some time working on this drill, and your feel for proper impact will sharpen significantly. This added feel will also help improve your distance control.
Ranked No. 4 on Golf Digest's list of America's 50 Greatest Teachers, McLean is based at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami. Click here for more tips from McLean.
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