Golf Tips For Women: Kathy DeNeui

Here’s how you can beat those yips

Dear Kathy:
I have a 12 handicap, I’ve been golfing for 25 years and what keeps me from scoring better is my putting. I cannot count on making those short putts on any given day. I’m a reasonably good lag putter, I usually get the ball fairly close on long putts, but if I could count the number of three to six foot putts I miss I’m probably losing three shots a round. Any help for what could be the “yips?”
- Marie

Dear Marie:
Missing short putts could be your clubface is not square at impact. Take my test, you’ll need a friend to help and a ruler. Set up to a hole, about six feet away for a no-breaking center of the hole putt. Have your helper remove the ball and place the ruler flush against the face of the putter. Then step back and see if your putter face was square to the center of the hole. If it wasn’t consider putting a line on your ball, and making sure you have a putter with a line on the top to match the lines. You now need to have a solid pre shot routine, where on every putt over two feet, you mark your ball, pick it up, orient the line to your target line, check this from behind the ball at least four feet.

Keep in mind, once you address the ball, you will question your line, it will no longer look like the line on your ball is oriented to your target line. This is because you are looking over your shoulder at the hole and your brain is interpreting information from your non-dominate left eye (which moves the target). Trust your line, or get back behind the ball and check it again. When you stand over the ball, not trusting your line, that’s when you push and pull shorter putts.

Making three to ten foot putts requires a square clubface at impact and a confident stroke. Use your pre shot routine lining up behind the ball practicing and checking that your clubface is square until your perception of square when you’re standing over the ball is the same as the reality of your clubface square when you’re behind the ball.

Finally there’s nothing like practice to boost confidence. Do this drill every other day for the next two weeks at least. Start three feet from the hole and make three putts, move out to four feet, make three putts, then keep going until you get to about eight feet.

The “yips” will go away with confidence!

Kathy DeNeui is an LPGA teaching professional at the Columbia Super Range in Everett.