Putting has been called “A game within a game” by the late Harry Vardon. What’s important in putting? The building of the stroke, aim and alignment are an ongoing learning process.

When teaching the fundamentals of putting to students, I stress two important components distance and direction with distance control being the most important. Most people have a sense of direction but not a sense of distance. Imagine throwing darts. Your distance and direction both need to be on target.

Next, I continually work on pre-stroke posture, ball position and pre-shot routine until it’s a habit. When practicing, your only objective is to move the putter head back and forward in a manner that most easily and naturally returns the putter face to a square position relative to your aim line.

Bend from the hips, arms hang, chin stays up, weight evenly distributed on balls of feet. A good checkpoint is that the shoulders are over top of the toes.

If asked what the best players in the world all have in common prior to striking the ball, I would say great set up, pre shot routine and visualization. Next time you watch a tournament on television, pay attention to their set up.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters - Compared to what lies within us."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes

I read this and could not stop thinking about the most common question I get from students, "How can I play better golf?" Golf shots that are missed are behind us and there is nothing we can accomplish by continuously dwelling on them. However, they certainly have a direct effect on our future potential as we proceed in a round of golf or practice session. They are but on tiny matters. What the mind can perceive the mind can achieve. The most important aspect of the game that can be learned by you is trust. To reach a higher level in the game you must allow yourself to perform without a doubt. The game is extraordinary opportunity for human growth.

The setup is the specific area which can have the most influence in how your body functions which then results in your shot making ability. Balance starts with your setup. Simply stated, setup is the position you take when you stand up to the ball.

Grip- The hands are placed on the grip so that more often than not they will naturally deliver the club face to a square position at contact or impact. The hands are linked in a way that will allow the wrists to hinge effectively at certain points in the swing. Grip pressure is light but not loose. Holding the club in the fingers is the key to a light grip for generating maximum club head speed with control. Grip preference include overlap, interlock or the ten-finger grips.

Posture- Effectively posture lies in the habit of standing up to the ball as though you had two different parts to your body. One part from the waist down, the other part from the waist up.