AimPoint: Path and feel putting drill
AimPoint is one of the latest innovative techniques to help improve your game. Coach Jamie Donaldson gave up being a leading golf coach to become Europe’s first AimPoint coach.
Donaldson has worked with professionals such as Adam Scott to help improve his putting using Aimpoint.
Here is one of the drills that Donaldson believes can help improve your putting.
String Drill
This is a favourite drill among the players I coach, notably Ian Poulter, who uses this all the time. The beauty lies in its simplicity.
All you need are a couple of skewers, or tent pegs, and a length of string to create a putting station. That will help you with the key fundamentals of aim, identifying your starting line, grooving a repeating online stroke and fully appreciating the true amount of break.
To get started, find a straight putt of around 10 feet and stand facing the hole from below and walk around until your feet feel absolutely level.
Set the string- line up running from behind the hole and stretch it out until its taut. Now you’re ready.
Place the ball directly below the string-line and then get set up to it and make sure you align your putter-face square to the ball.
Now you’re ready, go ahead and hit a few putts. Trust in your alignment and work on the tempo of your stroke, rolling the ball on a perfectly straight line to the hole.
The more often you spend practising, the better you will get at recognising square alignment.
Breaking Putts
To add to the interest you can introduce tee pegs to create that ‘gate’ a foot or so ahead of the ball and really test your accuracy. After a decent spell of practice, take away the string and try to make those putts solo.
The string line is also great for building trust on breaking putts. Use the AimPoint system to identify the break of a curling 10-footer, and run the string to the aim point wide of the hole.
Again, focus on pace, and work on repeating your stroke with the string as your guide. You job is to putt a perfect roll on the ball – gravity will do the rest!
