None other than Jack Nicklaus once said of Arnold Palmer that "Arnie at his best was the greatest chipper and putter I have ever seen." The great Bobby Jones added, ""If I ever had to have one putt to win a title for me, I'd rather have Arnold Palmer hit it for me than anybody I ever saw." High praise from great authorities certainly, but it is also no accident. Sure, everyone knows that Arnold Palmer loved to play aggressive golf, but even he knew that the key to scoring and winning was with the putter.
And this past week's Arnold Palmer Invitational lived up to its namesake in ideal and exemplemenary fashion. Just like Mr. Palmer, it was full of great charges, spectacular risks, incredible shots, and when it was time to crown a winner, the man who had to make the putts, did just that. This week it was Vijay Singh who showcased deft putting skills, and he is the one going home with the trophy. Bay Hill will test everyone's golf swing to a great degree, the one place where golfers had to be solid was on the green. Vijay's poise and confidence never waivered and his trust in his stroke earned him his second victory of the PGA TOUR season.
Growing up in Northwestern Pennsylvania, an hour and a half from Arnold Palmer's home in Latrobe, I have always had great respect and admiration for Mr. Palmer and his commitment to the game. His legacy extends around the world, but it truly has a special place in our area. Even now, he hosts the annaul Palmer Cup Matches in Western Pennsylvania. In the spirit of connecting more players to the game, this event places the top 12 area amateurs against the top 12 Tri-State PGA Professionals in a modified Ryder Cup format. This last September, I had the honor of playing in those matches and watched Mr. Palmer practice his putting for more than an hour before his premier afternoon match. Even for the Palmer Cup matches now, Mr. Palmer puts a special focus on his putting. If a legend like Arnold Palmer commits such time to putting, how much time should you spend on the practice green?
I want to emphasize that point. Today's TOUR pros also spend several hours on the putting green each day. With most amateurs that I see, they hit a few putts on the way over to the first tee. This is not a way to truly become a better putter. If you want to lower your scores, work on your putting.
Here are five keys that you can focus on:
- Triangle Stroke - With your elbows anchored in your sides, the body and forearms form a triangle when gripping your putter. By maintaining the elbows to your sides, you create a very connected putting stroke with little margin for error. This stroke is used by numerous tour players and is much more consistent than a stroke where the elbows tend to float away from the body. As you watch the TOUR event this coming week, watch how many players keep their elbows connected to their bodies.
- Consistent Grip Pressure - One of the primary things that I see with players who 'yip' putts is a change in grip pressure during the stroke. These players start out relaxed, then during the stroke increase their grip pressure causing an inconsistent roll on the ball. Practice keeping a consistent grip pressure.
- Pendulum Motion with Putter - Just like your grandfather clock at home, the arm on the clock - or your putter - goes the same distance back as it does through and at the same speed. This is extremely important for better distance control.
- Body and Head Still - When the best players in the world are putting in high pressure situations, their lower bodies and heads are extremely still during the stroke. This helps keep the ball on line. When your head and body follow the putt, they tend to push or pull the ball off line. Therefore, simply listen for the ball to go in the hole - don't try to watch it go in.
- Better Practice Routine - As I mentioned earlier, TOUR players spend hours a day on the practice green. The majority of that time is spent working from five feet and in. Just think how many strokes you could shave off of your handicap if you cleaned up everything inside five feet!
Remember, if Arnold Palmer -- the man with 62 PGA TOUR victories, 10 Senior Tour victories, one U.S. Amateur title, and seven professional major championships -- knows the importance of working on his putting, you should probably take one more cue from the legend himself.
Arnold Palmer's impact on golf is immeasurable. From television to enodorsement deals to golf course architecture to practically everything else, modern golf can all circle back to Arnold Palmer. But perhaps most of all, people will associate Mr. Palmer with great golf and a love of golf. I would think he would find the love of golf to mean a little bit more.
So on a personal note, thank you Mr. Palmer for all that you have done for the game of golf. In times when it's not always easy to find good role models -- especially among today's sports stars -- I want to thank you for always stopping to sign an autograph, constantly connecting with the crowds and giving back more than you ever took from the game.
Eric Johnson is the Director of Golf Instruction at Oakmont Country Club, the site of the 2007 U.S. Open, and was the 2005 PGA Tri-State Section Teacher of the Year. Formerly the Director of Instruction at The Breakers Palm Beach, Eric was also a lead instructor for the PGA of America Golf Schools and frequently lectures to other PGA Professionals at educational seminars throughout the country.
He can be reached at 412.828.4653 or at ekjpga96@yahoo.com.
