Simply put a roll of pennies on the ground and try to putt it down your target line. (Yes, you can do this indoors as well.) If you hit the roll with the clubface square, the pennies will roll straight.
If the pennies spin to the left (if you're a righthander) -- you closed the clubface and the toe hit the pennies first.
Conversely, if the pennies spin to the to the right (if you're a righthander) -- you opened the clubface and the heel hit the pennies first.
If the pennies roll to the left of the hole (if you're a righthander) -- you closed the clubface and swung out-to-in across the line of the putt (a pull).
Conversely, if the pennies roll to the right of the hole (if you're a righthander) -- you opened the clubface and swung in-to-out across the line of the putt (a push).
My bonus tip: If you have a lot of trouble hitting the roll squarely, you should check your "ball position." Constant heel hits may mean the "ball" is too far back in your stance; constant toe hits may mean that the "ball" is too far forward in your stance.
Of course, you can use a roll of nickels, dimes or quarters if you're a big spender. But regardless of which one you use, it'll still be cheaper than most of the putting aids you can buy and you'll get clear feedback with no guesswork.
https://annecaingolf.com/the-magic-of-a-square-putter-face/ http://www.bocaresort.com/assets/docs/AugustGolfMagazine.pdf Kellie Stenzel said to put ball back on draw putts and forward on cut putts
ReplyDeleteThe heel can hit the ball first without making a cut stroke, and the toe can hit first without making a draw stroke. The penny drill helps you identify whether you have a path problem or a "squaring" problem.
DeleteStenzel's advice and my bonus tip both recommend the same thing; hers just focuses on the path problem while mine focuses on the squaring problem.