Hey everyone, I've interviewed another golf expert. This time it's Jim Waite the head golf coach at The University of Western Ontario. I've decided to start interviewing the top college and university golf coaches who teach some of the best student/golfers who decided to make the great game of golf their life.
In this interview I ask Jim questions on how to combine both short and long putting practice to become better putters,and golfers overall. I even asked Jim a question on putting mechanics versus being able to read the green,and what is more vital to putting success.
You'll gain a lot of knowledge you can use in this interview on putting with Jim Waite.
When you teach golfers putting---do they do have more success in putting if they separate short putting sessions from long putting sessions?
We separate the two concepts as you have different goals with the two types of putts. On long putts, you are looking at a 3 foot circle around the whole as your target. Your goal is to finish the long putt so that you have a rather simple putt to complete the two putt.
The goal is not to make the long one...but to make a two-putt.
And once in a while the long one goes in. This happens more when you get better and better at lessening the three foot window.
Short putt sessions should start with the one foot putts (normally gimmees in fun rounds) where you attempt to hit the dead centre of the cup. This continues to putts of two feet, then three feet and so on. If you practise hitting the centre of the hole on short putts, this mentality stays with you as your short putts get longer.
When you teach a player putting is it more important that they get down their short putts before long putts? Or do you teach them differently?
The two concepts are equally important but in order to avoid three putting a green (which is the goal on long putts),
success on lagging long putts is critical. We teach them differently. A critical component of making shorter putts is to ensure your putter blade accelerates through the ball and straight through to the centre of the cup.
I hope these questions make sense Jim.
I wasn't sure how to approach this question Jim,so here it goes.
Is knowing how to read a green more important than having perfect mechanics putting wise? Because most don't have perfect mechanics as far I know.
But I don't know a lot.
Again, it is difficult to say one is more important than the other. To be a great putter, you must master both the ability to read the greens, and the perfect mechanics. Obviously the great putters (Zach Johnson, Jordan Spieth among others) do both very well. Zach seems to be very mechanical and every stroke looks the same. Jordan seems to be more natural in his putting stroke...a great reader of the greens with a natural stroke that works for him.
I think ( and this is just my theory ) that to ensure you putt with your arms and shoulders as opposed to your wrists, it works to anchor your right elbow (for right handed players) to your rib cage. This forces your body to make the motion with your arms and shoulders. Certainly not every one does this, but for people who become wristy in their putts, this helps to maintain the putter line.
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