IMPROVE YOUR FEEL ON PUTTING
This golf tip was written for the Magazine "Terranée", for their monthly publication.

Putting is probably the least technical part of golf. But it is however, where many points are lost…
The number one cause of poor putting is poor alignment, which creates overactive hands. Often aiming to the right of the target and unaware of this, the golfer has to compensate by modifying unconciously the trajectory of the club and/or the position of the putter face, either with his shoulders, or with his hands. Or with both…
This disrupts the natural pendulum action which is necessary for consistency and control.
Also, the slightest movement of the wrists multiplies the speed of the club head, therefore sending the shot usually out of control, and often off target as well.

To putt more consistently :

first make sure you are properly alligned : get someone to help you, or use a chalk line on a flat putting green when you practice.
You can also set down two clubs parallel about 10 centimeters appart and use the channel to position yourself.

Then make sure your posture is correct : eyes over the ball (test this by droping a ball from the point between your eyes, it must fall on, or very near the ball), arms relaxed, feet, hips and shoulders parallel.

Finally, your grip should be slightly different from your normal grip, in a way that the club is a little less in your fingers, and a little more in your palm, so the butt of the club is pointing somewhere between your belly button and your solar plexus.
As the club is then more vertical, if ever your wrist move a bit, your putter face will not move away from the target.

Then try developing a smooth pendulum movement by lightenning the grip in your hands, but not allowing the wrists to move. That means firm wrists, but soft fingers.

The movement now comes from the shoulders rocking back and fourth, and the hands are ONLY a connection that transmits the movement from the shoulders to the putter head.

When the pendulum rythm is good, you will find that the club will stay naturally in your hands without the need to hold it very hard. And your wrists will follow and stay naturally quiet

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Practice trick :
You can even lift your thumbs off the grip and let the club sit gently in your palm and fingers, barely holding it at all. Then the speed of the club is only that of its own momentum.
The more distance you need, the more back swing you will need to take. But your grip pressure or the pendulum speed should never change.

You will improve greatly on controling distance and direction if you practice this way. Also do not hesitate to putt like this on the course, when the tension builds up and you find your hands getting a bit nervous…