DEREK JAMES
Derek James on Putting 12 basic fundamentals
GRIPPING THE PUTTER Irrespective of how you grip, maintain- ing the angle of your right wrist from address throughout the stroke is crucial to avoid being wristy. You never want your wrists to break down through im- pact. I have gripped the putter the same way throughout my career. An ortho- dox grip with left hand above right and the index finger of my left hand over- lapping the fingers of my lower hand. I extend my right index finger down the shaft as I believe this helps with feel. Mark McNulty grips with both in- dex fingers pointing straight down the shaft. He feels that this, especially the right index finger, gives him a sense of pointing towards the hole on his fol- low-through as he watches the ball ap- proach the hole on longer putts. Keep your grip pressure light throughout the stroke.
STANCE AND POSTURE Set up in a way that enables your arms to hang naturally. Your eyes should be either directly over the ball or a little inside the ball, which I prefer. Your eyes should never be beyond the ball at address. Legs tall, shoulders square and buttocks out. There should be a straight line from your left elbow to the grip and down the shaft to the ball. Hav- ing hands slightly forward or ahead of the ball at address helps. BALL POSITION AT ADDRESS Forward, closer to your left foot than your right, with your weight forward. McNulty has the ball opposite the big toe of his left foot at address. Bobby Locke also did this. It’s this forward feeling that helps you catch the ball slightly on the up, creating over-spin, essential to getting your putts to roll.
THE STROKE This should feel slightly inside the line going back, then square and in- side through, which is a normal and natural path. If you are to err, make contact ever so slightly towards the toe. You never want to hit the ball out the heel as the ball will go left. I like a longer follow through than backswing. The head must accelerate through and beyond impact, finishing in the air just above the ground. I prefer a long follow-through, holding the putter still when well past the ball. Be deliberate and do it every time. My head stays still throughout the stroke and after strik- ing the putt I continue to look down at the grass beneath the ball for a second or two after it has gone. Listen to the putt drop, don’t watch it miss.
104 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
MARCH/APRIL 2025
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