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| Putting: Practice Makes Perfect Putting |
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Putting
Putting is the element of the game that divides the good from the great players in the sport of disc golf. There are many young guns that can crush huge drives, but only the top players can finish those booming drives off with putts that allow for the birdies and eagles needed to separate them from the competition. Even without a cannon arm though, players that have a quality short game can compete with anyone. Our sports first World Champion, Harold Duvall calls putting, “the great leveler” because of its importance in the drive, approach, putt or even pitch and putt type of courses we all face. Practice is the only real way to become a fluent and consistent putter. Once you have the proper technique base, which you can learn anytime by just asking or attending any of the many clinics we do every year, it boils down to practice. Quality over quantity is the key and below we outline some of our practice structures that make a repetitive motion seem fresh and fun. Now go buy yourself ten of your favorite putter, grab a stool to stack your putters on so you don’t have to bend down so much and “GET YOU SOME”!
To the East, To the West, To the North and South (Warm-Up or Short Practice)
We both use this practice concept to hone in on putts from varying distances with varying wind conditions. After properly stretching out, start no farther than 20 ft from the basket. With your putters stacked on your stool, concentrate on proper technique for each putt. We usually don’t move on unless we have made 8 of the 10. Then we rotate 90 degrees around the basket and repeat. We do that for all four directions so that we can take advantage of any prevailing winds going on. During play you are always faced with putts from different directions. Once we have made it around and are good and warmed up we either move on to Rock Around the Clock or repeat from 30 going 7 for 10 for the quick practice. (You may have to start at 12ft and 22ft, no worries.)
Rock Around the Clock (Main Practice after Warm-Up)
With your stack of putters and a chair, pick a start at about 15 feet. You will be moving around the basket clockwise from increasing distances. Make sure you set comfortable goals that you must meet before moving on to the next spot on the clock. (8 of 10, 50% from a straddle, make just 2 of 10) Move on to each spot and increase about 5 feet every 2 spots. Again, you will get multiple putts of varying styles against different winds. Be sure to take your time and concentrate on what it feels like when you execute a perfect putt. Do not get caught up on spit-outs or cut-throughs. If you hit your sweet spot, you did your part. Finish your trip around the clock with a few sets of deep jumpers (I practice 50 and 60 footers here) and short throw-in attempts (from about 80 to120). Now that you have satisfied the bulk of your quality practice session you should end with some fun. Make sure you take your time, concentrate and go through your routine. The object is to win the game.
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