Skill Analysis
Preparatory
i. Grip putter in both hands (interlocking the pinky of the domand hand with the pointerfinger of the weak hand, and line up both thumbs on the top of the putter shaft) put putter head on the ground[HRB1]
ii. Keep weight centered
iii. Head tilted downward
iv. Stand with eyes over the ball
v. Bend at hips slightly
vi. Bend knees slightly
Execution
i. Arms held out straight, with elbows locked
ii. Raise club about half an inch off of the ground
iii. Keep your left arm (or weak side arm) angle constant[HRB2]
iv. Swing with your shoulder
v. Keep your eye on the ball
Follow through
i. Smooth consistent swing
ii. Don’t lift your head
iii. Follow through smoothly, but with no backswing
Teaching Cues
Elementary[HRB3]
i. Pretend your feet have cement blocks on them. “Feet stuck”
ii. Pretend your left arm is frozen in place. Do not change the angle of your left arm for the entire stoke. (Watson & Seitz, p28) “Frozen arm”
iii. Keep your eyes glued to the ball for the entire stroke. (Payne & Wagster, p15). “Eyes glued”
Secondary[HRB4]
i. Bend at your hips like you are sitting a stool that’s a little too tall for you to reach “Sit in the chair”
ii. “For consistent rhythm and a smooth motion, picture the stroke as a pendulum” (Dusek & Ross, p168) “Swing like a clock”
iii. Let your shoulder do the work. Your shoulder muscle is bigger and stronger then your wrist muscle (Hurt, p59) “Shoulder, no wrist”
iv. Don’t lift your eyes until you hear the ball hit the hole (Dusek & Ross, p177) “Hear it, then see it”
Diagrams of lead up task
Elementary
i. Diagram for pretending that your shoulders are tied together. Good practice for keeping the shoulders squared to the ball.
Secondary
i. Diagram for hitting a larger target instead of the regulation size cup.
Lead-ups Games[HRB5]
Elementary
i. Play a game of golf w/ putting only
ii. Use a regulation ball and putter[HRB6] (or a hockey stick or broom)
iii. Use an enlarged hole (target)
Secondary
i. Play a game of golf w/ putting only
ii. Use a regulation ball, putter and hole
iii. Place obstacles in the way of the hole
Detailed Elementary Lead-up Game
This game is geared towards elementary school children. The balls used are going to be larger than a regulation golf ball, like a tennis ball, to ensure the child is able to make a connection with it during the putt. Also, the aim of game is to get the ball into a hoola-hoop placed on the ground. The target is bigger than a regulation size cup to ensure the student has a higher success rate. With these two modifications the student should try to putt making sure their shoulders are square to the ball and their feet stay still. It also allows the student to get a feel for how hard they should hit the ball to get it into the general area of where the cup would be in a real game. The game can then progress into having the students putt with a regulation size golf ball.
Detailed Secondary Lead-up Game
This game builds off of the elementary approach. However, the students will now putt using only regulation sized balls and a smaller target ring or regulation cup. By doing this the students are playing a more accurate game of golf. This is where the proper grip, stance and movements should be encouraged. Also, obstacles can be introduced, such as hills, rocks and different terrains. It can be more of a mini-golf like situation that requires the player to cognitively think about the speed and angle of the putt.
Resources listed
Dusek, David & Ross, Barry. (2005). Golf Magazine: Private Lessons. Abrams, NY: Time4 Media. Inc.
Hurt, Harry III. (2002). How to Learn Golf: The first complete guide to golf instruction based on exclusive sessions with the game’s top teaching pros. New York, NY: Atria Books.
Parris, Valerie. (2009). Putt Fore Dough. Feb. 11, 2009. http://www.puttforedough.com/
Payne, Dr. James S. & Wagster, Larry W.. (2005). PeopleWise Putting: Get Your Brain In The Game. Pittsburg, PA: SterlingHouse Publisher, Inc.
Putting Lab. (2008-2009). Golf Putting Aids. Feb. 11, 2009. http://www.puttinglab.com/.
Wason, Tom & Seitz, Nick. (1987). Getting UP and Down: How to Save Strokes from Forty and In. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.
Preparatory
i. Grip putter in both hands (interlocking the pinky of the domand hand with the pointerfinger of the weak hand, and line up both thumbs on the top of the putter shaft) put putter head on the ground[HRB1]
ii. Keep weight centered
iii. Head tilted downward
iv. Stand with eyes over the ball
v. Bend at hips slightly
vi. Bend knees slightly
Execution
i. Arms held out straight, with elbows locked
ii. Raise club about half an inch off of the ground
iii. Keep your left arm (or weak side arm) angle constant[HRB2]
iv. Swing with your shoulder
v. Keep your eye on the ball
Follow through
i. Smooth consistent swing
ii. Don’t lift your head
iii. Follow through smoothly, but with no backswing
Teaching Cues
Elementary[HRB3]
i. Pretend your feet have cement blocks on them. “Feet stuck”
ii. Pretend your left arm is frozen in place. Do not change the angle of your left arm for the entire stoke. (Watson & Seitz, p28) “Frozen arm”
iii. Keep your eyes glued to the ball for the entire stroke. (Payne & Wagster, p15). “Eyes glued”
Secondary[HRB4]
i. Bend at your hips like you are sitting a stool that’s a little too tall for you to reach “Sit in the chair”
ii. “For consistent rhythm and a smooth motion, picture the stroke as a pendulum” (Dusek & Ross, p168) “Swing like a clock”
iii. Let your shoulder do the work. Your shoulder muscle is bigger and stronger then your wrist muscle (Hurt, p59) “Shoulder, no wrist”
iv. Don’t lift your eyes until you hear the ball hit the hole (Dusek & Ross, p177) “Hear it, then see it”
Diagrams of lead up task
Elementary
i. Diagram for pretending that your shoulders are tied together. Good practice for keeping the shoulders squared to the ball.
Secondary
i. Diagram for hitting a larger target instead of the regulation size cup.
Lead-ups Games[HRB5]
Elementary
i. Play a game of golf w/ putting only
ii. Use a regulation ball and putter[HRB6] (or a hockey stick or broom)
iii. Use an enlarged hole (target)
Secondary
i. Play a game of golf w/ putting only
ii. Use a regulation ball, putter and hole
iii. Place obstacles in the way of the hole
Detailed Elementary Lead-up Game
This game is geared towards elementary school children. The balls used are going to be larger than a regulation golf ball, like a tennis ball, to ensure the child is able to make a connection with it during the putt. Also, the aim of game is to get the ball into a hoola-hoop placed on the ground. The target is bigger than a regulation size cup to ensure the student has a higher success rate. With these two modifications the student should try to putt making sure their shoulders are square to the ball and their feet stay still. It also allows the student to get a feel for how hard they should hit the ball to get it into the general area of where the cup would be in a real game. The game can then progress into having the students putt with a regulation size golf ball.
Detailed Secondary Lead-up Game
This game builds off of the elementary approach. However, the students will now putt using only regulation sized balls and a smaller target ring or regulation cup. By doing this the students are playing a more accurate game of golf. This is where the proper grip, stance and movements should be encouraged. Also, obstacles can be introduced, such as hills, rocks and different terrains. It can be more of a mini-golf like situation that requires the player to cognitively think about the speed and angle of the putt.
Resources listed
Dusek, David & Ross, Barry. (2005). Golf Magazine: Private Lessons. Abrams, NY: Time4 Media. Inc.
Hurt, Harry III. (2002). How to Learn Golf: The first complete guide to golf instruction based on exclusive sessions with the game’s top teaching pros. New York, NY: Atria Books.
Parris, Valerie. (2009). Putt Fore Dough. Feb. 11, 2009. http://www.puttforedough.com/
Payne, Dr. James S. & Wagster, Larry W.. (2005). PeopleWise Putting: Get Your Brain In The Game. Pittsburg, PA: SterlingHouse Publisher, Inc.
Putting Lab. (2008-2009). Golf Putting Aids. Feb. 11, 2009. http://www.puttinglab.com/.
Wason, Tom & Seitz, Nick. (1987). Getting UP and Down: How to Save Strokes from Forty and In. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.
