Putt with your forearms!

While your putting game is already pretty sound, those one or two putts per round that you catch off-centre cost you more dearly thatn anything you do in your full swing. Mis-hit putts are often the result of your wrists or shoulders taking control of your stroke. When your wrists take over, the clubface is prone to opening or closing at impact. When the shoulders think they're the boss, your head and torso tend to move with them, creating too much vertical clubnead motion and excessive tension. The solution? Let your forearms take control.

Nail your setup!

Your forearms will have an easier time working for you if you start with a sound setup. Here are three basic keys: 1.) Position your eyes directly over the ball; 2.) Let your arms and hands hang under your shoulders; 3.) Keep your weight balanced on the balls of your feet.

While you already know these keys, it's to get sloppy and gloss over your setup in the heat of a round. Try placing the steps in order during your pre-putt routine, and work from the top down. Position your eyes first, then adjust your arms and hands, and finally, without mving your eyes or torso, adjust stance so that your weight is balanced. Now you're ready to roll.

Nail your setup!

Bad ball position can prevent a reliable stroke. Position the ball about half an inch and a half inside your left instep. This places the clubhead an equal distance between your feet and shoulders (or the lowwest point in the arc of the forearms-controled stroke). Lock your wrists, keep your head still and start the clubhead back on a level path and low to the ground. Just after impact the putter should remain low. If your left arm passes your left hip at the completion of the follow-through, you've made a solid forearm stroke. If your left arm finishes pretty much where it started, your wrists or your shoulders are getting too involved in your stroke.