Putting Tips For Seniors

Putting Tips For Seniors

As we age, our bodies change and our golf game can suffer. But with the right putting tips, seniors can still enjoy the game of golf.

In this article, we’ll explore the best putting tips for seniors, from equipment choices to game strategy. With these tips, you can improve your putting and stay competitive and have fun on the green.

Equipment Choices

When it comes to equipment choices, you’ve got the power to make decisions that’ll enable you to perform your best on the course.

When it comes to golf putting, you want to find a putter that suits your stroke and build. 

Find a putter that’s the right length for you. If you like to get right over the ball then you might find a shorter than standard length putter works better. If you like to stand tall then you might want to look at a longer-than-normal putter.

What sort of feel do you prefer? Do you like a soft feel? You probably want to look at a putter face with a soft insert. If you prefer a firmer feel then a milled putter will do the job.

Should you get a putter with toe hang? If you have a straight back and through stroke you would probably putt better with a face-balanced putter while a player with a more arcing stroke will get more consistent results with a toe hang putter.

With the right equipment and practice, you’ll be ready to putt like a pro.

How to pick the right putter.

Face Insert Putter
Face Insert Putter

Posture

Generally speaking, most players like to get over the ball a little more than they do with their full swing. Some players go to extremes like Michelle Wie who gets her back almost parallel to the ground. It’s unlikely you would be able to maintain that sort of posture for too long though so stick to a more normal stance with the feet roughly shoulder-width apart.

Danny Maude putting tips

Grip and Head Position

Gripping the club correctly and keeping your head in the right position can make a huge difference in your golf game.

There are loads of different grips that you can use:

  • Reverse overlap
  • Left-below-right
  • Claw
  • Armlock

Experiment till you find the one that feels comfortable and gives you the best results. There has been a big trend towards oversize putter grips in the last 20 years or so because they help to keep your wrists quiet during the stroke.

Don’t grip your club too tightly as that will only introduce tension. Tension is not good in any part of golf!

Most players perform best with their eyes over the ball or just inside the line of the ball. Again you need to experiment a little to see what works best for you.

One thing to remember is to keep your head still while you putt. This will help keep your body still and make getting the clubface back in a square position that much easier.

Swing Length

This goes hand in hand with distance control. You want the length of swing to dictate how far the ball will travel. Work on hitting different lengths of putts and seeing how far you need to swing to make it happen. Use a tee as a reference point for your backswing or if you don’t want to make the green you could go with a sleeve of golf balls.

Quiet Wrist Motion

Maintaining a quiet wrist motion is essential for putting consistency.

As you make your putting stroke, pay attention to the crease of your wrist and make sure it doesn’t move. One drill that I used to avoid using my wrists when putting was to stick a comb or pencil in the band of my watch which will tell you immediately if you are letting your left wrist break down.

Nick Faldo, an English professional golfer and sports commentator, recommends avoiding a flicking action with your wrist for a more consistent putting stroke.

By keeping your wrists quiet and steady, you can achieve better results and avoid costly mistakes.

Pendulum Stroke

The pendulum stroke is a simple, reliable way to power your putts, as your arms and shoulders guide the putter in a gentle, back-and-forth rhythm.

Milled Putter Face
Milled Putter Face

With practice and consistency, you can start to make more putts and lower your scores.

By using the big muscles of the body you remove a lot of the variables and make it easier to hole more putts.

Distance Control

The area where most golfers fail on the green is getting the right distance on their putts. If you are regularly blowing putts 8 feet past or leaving them well short then you are never going to score well.

If you are struggling with inconsistency on the green you need to improve your ability to hit the ball the same distance. Work on the technical aspects of your stroke to make sure you are returning the clubface square more often and try to remove the small muscles from your stroke as much as possible.

Allowing your big muscles to create a pendulum stroke will give you better results long term and will repeat more often under pressure.

Here are some tips to help control distance.

Start Line and Break

Reading greens is a tricky skill to master and you won’t reach your potential on the golf course if you really struggle to understand the break.

You can have the greatest stroke in the world but if you don’t read the green correctly and start the ball online then you aren’t going to make many putts.

You need to think of every putt as a straight line. At least it is at the outset. Once you’ve worked out where you think you need to aim then assume that you need to putt the ball along that straight line and then let the slope take effect.

Pick a point on the line a foot or two in front of your ball that you can use as a reference to line up. Set your putter head in relation to that spot and not the hole.

Using a line on your ball can be a great help in lining up.

Striking Upwards

Now that you’ve got the basic fundamentals of your start line and break, it’s time to learn how to strike upwards. Ideally you want to be hitting the ball slightly on the up as this will 

Throughout the motion, you’ll need to make sure that your club is coming up as you swing backward. This will give you more accuracy and power when you hit the ball.

Make sure that you keep your back straight and that you use your wrists to help guide the club head up. Practice this motion with a few practice swings, and you’ll be ready to hit the course.

How To Use Simple Golf Drills

Perfecting your putting stroke takes dedication and practice.

To improve their game, senior golfers should:

  • Select a drill that focuses on a specific golfing skill.
  • Work on it until you’re able to execute it effectively.
  • Repeat it regularly until you can consistently perform it correctly.
  • Move to the next drill to further improve your golf game.

Putting tips for senior golfers are best learned through drills and practices. With patience and dedication, you can improve your game and have more fun playing golf.

Make sure to take your time and focus on each drill to get the most out of your golf game.

Putting Tips For Seniors: Conclusion

You’ve done it! After all the hard work and practice you’ve put in, you’ve made it to the top of the mountain.

You’ve learned the proper equipment choices, grip and head position, swing length and alignment.

Keep working on your stroke and you’ll be boss of the moss in no time!

If you are really struggling then think about getting a lesson with a PGA Professional.

Look at these stats and you’ll realize that maybe your putting isn’t as bad as you think.

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