Epson Tour professional Natalie Sheary (New Britain, Connecticut) returns for Episode 8 of her weekly instructional series, “Staying Sharp with Sheary.” The Wake Forest University alumna and past Epson Tour champion at the 2016 W.B. Mason Championship gives advice and drills to keep your game sharp—both physically and mentally—while at home and in practice, as courses continue to reopen.
In this week’s episode, Sheary demonstrates “The Ruler Drill,” a quick and easy putting exercise to do at home or on the putting green to obtain instant feedback on face alignment at address and impact.— Natalie Sheary (@NatSheary) June 4, 2020
To begin, place a golf ball at the end of a metal rod aimed toward the hole or a target. For beginners, Sheary suggests using a yardstick. She personally uses a thin metal rod for more of a challenge. The goal is to keep the ball rolling the entire length of the rod which will lead the ball right to the intended target. If contact with the ball is not square, it will fall off the path to the left or right. From there, it’s all about making sure to properly align the club face and golf ball.
“We all know that putting is the most important thing to work on to lower scores,” said Sheary. “You can have the best speed, alignment and green reading abilities, but none of that matters if you can’t start the ball at your intended target. By doing some simple drills to help test and improve that skill, you will be giving yourself the best opportunity to make putts when playing.”