Longer stroke on lags
Distance control is the key to performing well in the putting portion of the DCP. On the course, it’s the easiest way to eliminate three-putts. Many juniors are too aggressive from long distance because they try to hole all of their putts. We get our juniors to putt “to” the hole rather than have them try to make everything. To better control speed, we find taking a longer backstroke is often the light-bulb moment. Poor lag putters have short backstrokes and tons of acceleration through impact. That’s hard to judge, especially under pressure. Your backstroke should be slightly longer than your throughstroke, which will help the putter travel at a constant speed at impact – not accelerating or decelerating.
HOLD YOUR FINISH
Kennedy Swedick is one of the grittiest competitors I’ve coached. We laugh about this tongue-out expression she had at the 2017 National Finals, but it captures the intensity
Clean up your setup
of her focus. Now in her second year on the women’s golf team at the University of Virginia, Swedick has succeeded at every level, including winning the 2022 New York State Women’s Amateur. She drives the ball long and straight, but it’s her ability to grind and bring full attention to each shot that separates her. Holing quite a few putts helps, too. I love how she holds her finish in this image, which shows me that she hit the putt with full commitment. Lesser putters have a recoil or worse, a drifting finish. Copy Swedick and stick the finish.
Students at my academy brush their teeth daily. I’m not talking about dental hygiene, but rather this putting station with a mirror and chalk line that keeps your mechanics clean. Find a straight four-footer and snap a line of chalk on the green. Place a mirror over the line and ensure that your eyes are either directly over the ball or just inside the line. This helps you see the path properly and promotes a gently arcing stroke. If you don’t have a mirror, drop a ball from between your eyes to check where they are. Align your putterface perpendicular to the line, and hit 20-30 putts. The best juniors hole short putts with plenty of speed because they trust that they will start the ball on line. You can’t be a consistent putter without a consistent setup. Start each session with this station and you’ll make more short ones.
82 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 83
MARCH/APRIL 2026
MARCH/APRIL 2026
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