1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. Golf

Stroke-Pro Practice Putter

Filling the Holes in Your Putting Stroke

About.com Rating 4.5

By Brent Kelley, About.com

If the hole in your golf game is putting, try the putter with the hole in it.
March 15, 2003 - The Stroke-Pro Practice Putter is a deceptively simple golf training aid that, with proper diligence, can help you groove a groovier putting stroke.

The clubhead of the Stroke-Pro is horseshoe shaped; where the sweet spot on a competition putter would be, the Stroke-Pro features ... nothing. Because the point of the Stroke-Pro is to miss the ball.

And you'll have to have a strong stroke to miss, because the "hole" in the Stroke-Pro clubface is a tight squeeze. Any stroke just a smidge off-target will result in touching the golf ball.

Practicing with the Stroke-Pro offers several advantages over practicing with a "real" putter.

First, the Stroke-Pro completely takes break out of the equation. Whether practicing on a putting green or on your living room carpet with a competition putter, the break can produce deceptive results. You can make a putt even when you have a lousy stroke, and you can miss a putt even when you make a perfect stroke.

Another advantage: No need to worry about the psychological effects of missing while practicing putting.

And another: No chasing after golf balls every time you make a putt.

The Stroke-Pro reduces putting to its most basic - and important - level: Making the best stroke possible.

Regardless of the type of competition putter you use, or the type of stroke you have (swinging gate, straight-back-straight-through, et.al.), the blade of the putter must be square at impact.

If the Stroke-Pro is not square at impact, you won't be able to miss the ball with it. You line up to the ball as you would with a normal putter. The yellow site line atop the Stroke-Pro putter head should align with the middle of the ball.

The company recommends starting by visualizing a four-foot putt. Take your normal stance and address the ball, then stroke the Stroke-Pro as you would a four-footer. The company refers to the process of learning to miss the ball as "purifying" your stroke.

Once you have the feel of four-footers - and can "purify" your stroke at that distance - try visualizing 6-8-footers.

Just 5-10 minutes a day with a Stroke-Pro should be enough to improve anyone's stroke. The company makes that easy by providing a "Stroke-Pro Putting Development System.

" Eventually Stroke-Pro owners will be able to print out charts from the Stroke-Pro Web site; that service is not yet available, but it's easy enough to chart your own progress.

Of using log sheets, the company tells its customers: "Attempt 10 putts of approximately six feet and record how many out of the 10 you purified on the log sheet. Take a 30-second break and then make 10 more putts of the same length and record your results. Again take a short break to relax your back and revive your concentration level, and then take your last 10 putts of the same length. Your results may look like something like this: 3/10, 4/10, and 4/10, total 11/30. You purified approximately 37-percent of your putts. Repeat this 30-putt sequence each day after a few moments of warmup with the Stroke-Pro for 30 days and you will see the major improvement you are making."

One more thing about the Stroke-Pro: It's a training aid that can lead to some great on-the-green wagering. Hey, it's no secret about golf: money changes hands. If you're one of those golfers who enjoys a good bet, put your friends to the test with the Stroke-Pro. You'll be improving your stroke while at the same time sharing a good golf bet with buddies.

Just don't improve their strokes too much, or you might be giving some of that money back after the round.

The Stroke-Pro Practice Putter is an excellent and easy way for any golfer to perfect an on-target putting stroke. And the better your putting stroke, the fewer strokes you'll be taking.

Poll: How Many Golf Training Aids Have You Use?

User Reviews Write Review

Explore Golf

About.com Special Features

Learn to Pitch

Strike out the competition with these step-by-step pictorials. More >

Introduction to Pilates

Learning Pilates fundamentals can help you get the most out of your exercise regime. More >

  1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. Golf

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.