Add Tension to Improve Putting?

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 I know you’ve heard via. lesson’s, articles or the Golf Channel that tension in your putting grip is a death move, but this is “not” always the case.  When a person is having trouble controlling either the path or the clubface in their putting stroke they need to learn how to produce better angles.  This can only be done by working on something you’ve never done before, which naturally creates tension.  Remember the first time you put on roller skates or road a skateboard?  Yeah, you were tense, fighting for balance and awkward, but eventually after your muscles learned the motion you developed a softness and rhythm.  Learn a new putting grip or stroke is not different.

 

It always amazes me during a Cote Golf Instruction putting lesson how students remark ‘wow, I’m making all these putts now, but my hands feel tight….shouldn’t they be relaxed”.  The answer is yes….eventually!  Right now you need to tell those set of muscles “hey, you need to do this”, which creates some tension.  Imagine taking a salsa lesson for the first time and running through the various positions and transitions?  You will be tense and awkward, but after some practice you develop confidence and slowly relax allowing yourself to be rhythmic.  Why, because the muscles have learned the motion. When learning a motion there is increase tension!

 

Try The Opposing Pressure Drill:  Try this drill when putting to eliminate excess clubface rotation and poor swing path.

 

1)      Take your putting posture without a club

2)     Arrange your palms together as if you were praying to the ground

3)     Slip a penny between your palms and don’t let it slip

4)     This will create tension pushing your palms together slightly.  Keyword is slight!

5)    Now work your shoulders back and forth in the cliché rocking motion while keeping pressure on the penny

6)     Read number #5 again please it is very important

 

***  When you’ve worked on this motion for a few minutes take your putting grip and make the same motion keeping the handle of the club from “falling” like the penny.  This will keep the clubface for over or under rotating and allow your shoulders to swing the putter on the proper path/arc.