"You get out of it, what you putt into it."
The consistency we seek is the result of predetermined action. Foreseeing the right combination of key factor and then performing them with precision is the mark of good putting.
Holing the ball is the objective of golf. Aim is the right relationship between the direction of the stroke and the hole. Combining right aim with distance manufacturing we can produce a "one putt". Confidence is born by knowing what to do, and what better way than to prove to yourself that what you did was on purpose and not accidental.
| Which Way and How Far |  |
"The hand moves the hand"
Putting differs from the swing move in that the body remains absolutely still during the stroke. This allows the palm of the hand to superimpose consistently.
Rolling the Ball
The ball is our servant, always doing exactly as instructed. Communication with the ball is made during contact. During the putting stroke, the top edge of the putter contacts the ball just above it's equator on the up stroke. This causes the ball to "turn down" and track to the target. "Free Roll" is the additional distance achieved by rolling a putt downhill. Rolling a putt uphill negates this "Free Roll". Either add (uphill) or subtract (downhill) the "Free Roll" when reading a putt.
Directional Flow
Wherever the palm of the hand goes, so goes the face of the putter. By keeping the palm "on line" throughout the stroke, we ensure the putter blade remains constant. Preserving the initial "on line" aim of the hand makes for a consistent putting stroke and retains the direction of the putter aim provided the body does not turn or move.
In a 'Newton's cradle' fashion the hand comes up at least as far as it went back during the back stroke. The front half of the stroke is what gives the ball momentum for distance and direction. Moving the hand up to "superimpose" is what give us the reliability and consistency we are seeking.
The Bottom Line
Reading putts is the true art of golf. Knowing what to look for in reading a putt will help in visualizing the line of the putt. Every putt is played as a straight putt with a predetermined amount of force applied to it by building a proper sized stance and utilizing periodicity. Gravity and the tilt of the green is what causes the ball to break or curve during it's path. Uphill putts break later than downhill putts which break sooner than usual. Uphill putts require a larger stroke to make the actual distance than a downhill putt of the same length. This difference is know as "free roll". To read the 'free roll' in a putt one must learn by experience. Go to a flat part of the green and roll three balls with the #1 stroke. Measure the average distance in paces. Go to a downhill slope and roll 3 balls in the same manner down the hill and then measure the distance of their average roll. Compare the difference between the results on the flat surface versus the downhill. The difference is the "free".
Next Chapter: Chipping Off the Old Block