Winter Golf Tips: Rock the shoulders

I see a lot of players scared to move over putts, but you need to use your big muscles to make a good stroke.

This drill is going to encourage you to use your upper body and shoulders, to let them rock when you’re putting, and it’s a great one to work on in the winter as you can do it at home.

You don’t need to be outside for this or even have a ball or your putter. Just get into your putting posture and get the feeling of using your shoulders to rock back and forth.

When you’re in this position, it’s not possible to use your wrists at all, because the sticks stop you.

Staying static over the ball is fine, but if your hands and wrists are the only things that move, then it’s going to be difficult to get a consistent strike and roll.

This will improve your strike, which makes everything else easier. It’ll help you to feel like your stroke is going either straight back and straight through or on a slight arc, but it keeps it all under control.

HOW TO DO IT

You need two alignment sticks, and you want to place either one under your armpit, and they’re going to run down your forearms. Put the palms of your hands together, and when you do that, the alignment sticks are going to cross over, creating an X-shape. You don’t need to have the putter when you’re doing this, just rock your shoulders back and forth.

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This tip first appeared in the bunkered Winter Guide 2022/2023. To subscribe, click here. International subscriptions also available.

Ailsa Murphy is a PGA teaching professional at Peebles Golf Club.