Send my password Sign up now - Play College or Pro Pick 'Em!
Athlon SportsGet Your Magazines Here

Golf Tip: Think speed


Instructor: Rob Akins

When any great putter has the flat stick working, you can bet on one thing: He’s focusing purely on the speed. Great putters, guys who play professionally, focus on the speed of their putts, and not the alignment. That’s because they’ve grooved their setup and their stroke to the point that they’re virtually automatic. If you’re struggling on the greens, you’re probably thinking technical thoughts about your stroke. That’s not a good place to be. Instead of thinking your way around the greens, you should be feeling your way.

Amateurs typically get so fixated on analyzing the line, that they forget about the speed, and speed is more about feeling than thinking. The hardest putt for an amateur is a straight 10-footer, because there’s so little margin for error; if the amateur doesn’t hit the putt on the perfect line, at the perfect speed, it’s not going in.

On the longer putts, especially those of 15 feet or more, the speed is much more important than the line. Instead of worrying so much about the line, I want you to envision a path to the hole that’s 8-10 inches wide, and to play maximum break. The speed is the critical thing on those long lag putts. This approach will leave you with much more makeable second putts and curtail those dreaded three-putts.

Rob Akins is the Director of Instruction for Spring Creek Ranch in Collierville, Tenn. and is one of Athlon's Elite Eight instructors.

Stan Musial HOF Official Major League Baseball
Stan Musial hand autographed Official Major League Baseball with rare HOF69 Inscription. James Spence Hologram and Certificate of Authenticity....
$199.00
$145.00

 

Steve Owens Oklahoma 69 Heisman Mini Helmet
Steve Owens hand autographed Oklahoma Sooners Riddell mini helmet with 69 Heisman inscription. GTSM Hologram and Certificate of Authenticity from Athlon Sports....
$79.00
$53.00

 

Jets Team Signed Riddell Proline Helmet with 27 signatures-1969
This Full Size Proline Helmet is hand signed by 27 of Super Bowl III Champions New York Jets including, Al Atkinson, Bill Baird, Ralph Baker, Randy Beverly, Emerson Boozer, John El...
$1,499.00
$869.00

 

- 2009 Best Units: Defensive line
They’re the teams within the team — those cohesive little units bound together by thei... more

- RB Sleepers
Athlon continues its release of the 2009 college fantasy draft kit with a look at the runn... more

- The Tide has turned in Alabama
Thanks to the hiring of Nick Saban, the balance of power has shifted between Alabama's two... more

- Things are changing at Minnesota
The State of the Union at Minnesota includes two new coordinators, a new offense and a new... more

- 13 things to watch in 2009: Part 4
This is Part 4 of a four-part series detailing 13 things to watch during the 2009 NFL seas... more