How to Stop Low-Side Misses
On left-to-right breakers, stay true to your start line
By Bryan Gathright
Top 100 Teacher
This story is for you if...
• You always misread left-to-right putts.
• These putts make you nervous, so you decelerate through them.
The Problem
On left-to-right breaking putts you always miss below the hole.
Why It's Happening
When you take your address position on a left-to-right breaker, your body is open to the hole. That makes it easy to fixate on the hole instead of your real target: the apex of the break. And since your stroke tends to follow your eyes, looking at the hole causes you to start the ball well below the correct line.
The Solution
As you give the putt one last look from your stance, stare down your starting line and focus on a spot on the line equidistant to the cup (not the cup itself). Feel like you're cocking your head to the right and setting your eyes parallel to the start line (check it with a shaft as shown during practice). This increases the chances that you'll start the ball on the correct line and allow for enough break so you don't miss below the hole.
If your last look is at the hole, you'll start the ball well below the correct line and you'll miss on the low side.
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