Alex Noren: Best pace putting drill
Callaway staff player shares his favourite putting tips
GolfMagic.com caught up with four-time European Tour champion Alex Noren during a Callaway media trip in Dubai this week.
Noren, 33, landed his second Nordea Masters title on home soil earlier this season en route to finishing 37th on the Race to Dubai.
We spent five minutes with the Swedish star on the putting green at Arabian Ranches Golf Club to obtain his number one drill to help amateurs improve consistency with their stroke on long putts.
Noren on his choice of putter, stance and grip...
I have a relatively short Odyssey ProType iX #1 putter which makes me bend over the ball a lot. I stand quite close to the ball, a little hunched over, but keep my elbows nice and relaxed. I also place my left hand below the right on the grip. I prefer this as it just makes me a lot more neutral in the setup.
On his stroke...
I always try to keep the butt end of the shaft ahead of the clubface. I essentially like to keep the grip ahead of the face. I want to keep the hands exactly the same through the stroke. I also want to keep the putter head nice and low to the ground through the putt.
On the biggest mistake he sees from amateurs...
I see amateurs stand a little too tall, and I also see a lot of loft on their putts. As a result, they change the angle of their wrist at impact. I would like to see less loft on the putter and see them kind of hit up on the ball, yet ensuring the putter head stays low to the ground through the hit.
On his favourite putting drill for amateurs...
Pace putting drills are very important for amateurs. If you struggle to judge pace on long putts, try this drill.
Put three balls slighly in front of the ball you're about to putt with (see above). Put one ball directly above you in the middle, and the other two balls equal distance in front and behind that one.
Then try and keep your stroke the same length back and through, measuring your stroke to where you place the balls. You will become much more consistent and get a better hit on your putts this way.
Got a favourite putting drill? We'd love to hear about it in the forum thread below. You can also join us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Andy first joined the brand on a month's work experience back in April 2011, and he now assumes the Editor role. When Andy joined GolfMagic it was a small site with potential.
