Golf Tips: Penny Putting

Golfers often struggle with moving their heads or "looking up too soon" when putting.  If the head is moving there are all sorts of "bad" things which can happen to the putt.  The contact on the club face is likely to be off-center.  The swing path is likely to be outside-in (club traveling across the ball from outside the target line to inside), and distance control is likely to be compromised. One great drill to help keep the head down and eyes on the ball through the stroke is the penny drill.  Put a penny (or other coin) on the practice green heads up and put the ball on top of it.  When putting you cannot move your head or eyes away from the ball spot until you've actually read the date on the penny. Another side benefit to this drill is making sure that the penny stays in place and that the putter does not hit it.  If the penny stays that means the putter is not bottoming out on the ground, which would result in many other problems. In the video below from the 1999 U.S. Open, watch how long Payne Stewart kept his head down on the winning putt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-SuLP5KOB0&feature=youtu.be&t=8m15s