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WHAT IS THE FASTEST WAY TO IMPROVE OUR GOLF SCORES?
The fastest way to lower our golf scores is to improve our putting. Anyone who plays golf with any regularity wants to lower their golf scores. Putting represents close to 60% of the score of most golfers. However, if you visit just about any practice facility, the driving range will be full, but the practice greens will usually be empty. Simple math lets us know that this should be reversed.
Practicing Your Putting is the Fastest Way to Lower Golf Scores
Rhys Davies shares three great drills on how he practices his putting. The Welshman focuses first on getting his eyes over the ball. Then he makes sure he is striking the ball out of the middle of the putter in the sweet spot. And then he makes sure he is hitting the ball on the up to generate top spin and get a good roll.
Eyes Over the Ball = Consistency
Rhys begins by making sure his eyes are directly over the ball. He takes his comfortable putting stance and then places a golf ball between his eyes against his forehead, then just gently releasing his fingers so the ball will fall to the ground. He knows that if he is aligned properly, the ball he drops will land directly on top of the ball on the ground.
Even, Steady Stroke = Sweet Spot
To ensure that he able to consistently stroke his putts in the sweet spot of the putter, Rhys likes to place two tees in the ground that are just a fraction wider than the width of the putter blade. These two tees form a gate for putter blade to pass between. When his stroke it steady and even, the putter blade will pass between to the two tee pegs cleanly with no contact.
Upward Stroke = Topspin
To ensure that he is striking the ball on the upstroke, Rhys will also place a tee peg in the ground just behind the ball to be putted. The tee peg will be pushed into the ground down to the tee top. Now when practicing his putts, if he is hitting the ball on the upstroke and creating topspin, the putter blade will pass just over the top of the tee peg. If he is striking the ball too low or on the downstroke, the putter blade will crash into the top of the tee peg.
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Rhys Davies, Golf Professional
Davies was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, but has lived in Wales for the majority of his life. He played collegiate golf in the United States at East Tennessee State University where he won ten times and was a first team All-American in 2005, 2006, and 2007. He played on two Walker Cup teams (2005 and 2007), and for Europe in four Palmer Cup teams (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007). Davies was second in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (May 2007), before turning pro in September 2007.Davies successfully came through the Asian Tour's qualifying school, allowing him to play on that tour for the 2008 season.
Davies won twice on the Challenge Tour in 2009 and finished fourth on the Challenge Tour Rankings to earn his European Tour card for 2010. He won his first European Tour title at the 2010 Trophée Hassan II.[2] At the 2010 Celtic Manor Wales Open, he shot a final round 62 to set the course record on his way to finishing as runner-up. This performance elevated Davies into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. He finished the season ranked 18th on the European Tour Order of Merit. After a poor 2012 season, Davies narrowly failed to maintain his full playing rights for the 2013 season.
Davies earned his first professional win in five years at the 2015 Turkish Airlines Challenge and followed this three months later with victory at the Challenge de Espana, when he opened with a first round 60. These successes helped Davies secure eighth position on the Challenge Tour order of merit, and full European Tour status.
To date Davies has played 314 tournaments (5 wins; 9 second; 8 third and 43 top ten places); 981 rounds; 70,165 strokes; 71.52 stroke average. These include 170 European Tour tournaments (1 win; 4 second; 2 third and 12 top ten places), and 6 Majors (Oakmont; Turnberry; Pebble Beach; St Andrews; Whistling Straits; and Royal St Georges).
At sixteen Davies had to choose between cricket and golf. At this time, he was a Glamorgan CC Academy, and ECB England National Development Squad player. The latter also included Alistair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan and Samit Patel who would play Test cricket subsequently.