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Mini-Golf Mastery: Breaking Down the Perfect Putt
When it comes to Mini-Golf, playing like a pro is ALL about the putt.
Scaled down for all-ages fun, Mini-Golf courses are not the right place to put your driving range skills to work… not unless you want to bean the next team over.
Small-swing strategies and taking the right form are the keys to hitting a hole-in-one (and not taking too many Mulligans!), so let’s look at some tips for making you a Mini-Golf master:
Refine Your Stance
Are you done admiring the guy in the photo above’s hat? Okay, good. Let’s talk about stance.
The key elements you want to be thinking about are back posture, shoulders, feet, elbows, and eyes. So… basically everything.
As you can see above, you don’t want to bend too far. Your back should be at roughly a 45 degree angle, with your shoulders directly above your feet. Keep your elbows loose, not locked.
And it might surprise you to hear this, but keep your eyes down. Yes, all the way through your swing! Once you’ve lined up your shot, all of your attention should be focused on hitting the ball just right.
Speaking of lining up your shot…
Read the Green & Visualize
You’ve probably noticed the little line on the head of your putter when playing Mini-Golf before. Did you use it?
This little line is your friend when it comes to plotting out your putt. Some people like the “swing and pray” method of play, but if you’re reading this, that isn’t you. So let’s talk about how to use that little line just right.
Before even lining up your putt, the first thing you need to do is VISUALIZE what you want to accomplish with your swing. Study the green, taking note of obstacles and walls and rough patches, and draw a mental line you want your ball to follow.
Once you have your line, take a few practice swings before stepping up to your ball. This develops muscle memory that should kick in when the moment to make your move comes!
Also, as is common in Mini-Golf, your putt might involve incorporating some ricochets into your strategy. If this is the case for your planned putt, go to the area you plan to bounce your ball from, and visualize a second line.
Using the notch on your putter, make sure both lines of your angle make sense – and if you want to be extra sure to hit the right spot, mark it with a coin or leaf or other small piece of debris so you can make sure you aim for exactly the right spot.
The Swing
Since you’ve done all the prep, this is actually the simplest step!
The three things you want to be thinking about are movement, force, and follow-through.
Movement is all about your shoulders, and we do mean ALL about them. In a perfect putt, your feet stay planted and your head stays aimed at the ball while your shoulders swing the putter.
Force, for putting, is a subtle art. Notice in the picture above that the arc of the putt is pretty short, only a few inches backward and forward from the ball. You know all those action shots you’ve seen of pro golfers with their clubs way above their heads, ready for a big swing? Don’t do that! Not unless you want to be hunting for your ball in the parking lot.
Finally, follow-through: to maintain the integrity of your shot, your putter shouldn’t stop dead after contact with the ball. Swing through, head down, and wait until you hear that tell-tale rattle of your ball sinking into the hole!
Ready to put your putt to the test? Shop here for Mulligan passes!