The Pros and Cons of Using a Putting Mirror
Article by: Nicholas Steiner | Founder of Back 2 Basics Golf
A putting mirror helps you develop a feeling for the proper alignment on the putting green. This training aid serves many functions. It includes lines to help with your eyes and shoulders, lines to help with your stroke, and holes to put tees in. You can instantly learn if you take your putter too far inside or outside the path line, and make the required corrections. The mirror feedback part helps you get you in a repeatable body setup position which can be extremely beneficial in making more putts.
✅ Pros of Using Putting Mirrors
Proper alignment:
Being properly aligned is the key to getting the ball into the hole with the minimum number of shots possible. And, an improper shoulder and eye alignment can lead to a flawed stroke because you try to compensate for it.
Making a good stroke:
Nothing is more important than a square putter face at impact. Where your putter points during impact is where your ball is going to go. If you're aiming correctly to start, you know that if the ball misses the hole it's most likely due to your putter face being either open or closed at impact.
Breaking Putts:
While you can use the putting mirror to practice break putts by aiming the mirror outside the hole it is recommended that you start with straight putts to ensure that if you miss a putt, it can be traced back to your putter face at impact. The 15-degree arc middle line on the mirror helps you with your stroke and guides you through those crucial few inches before the putter hits the ball.
Good Habits:
Consistent practice will take your short-game control to the next level. Using the putting mirror enhances your putting technique, by providing you with all the necessary feedback to correct your setup when putting, which is a key to mastering this part of your game.
Endless Drill Possibilities:
A putting mirror automatically increases your number of possibilities for putting drill exercises. Along with the assistance of tees and gates, you can alter several aspects of your putting technique that would otherwise be neglected.
Make Practice Fun:
Routine practice can be boring sometimes. Adding a putting mirror to your training regimen will add some fun to it.
❌ Cons of Using a Putting Mirror
A putting mirror can only improve your game if used properly. If not, it can be a sheer waste of your time, effort, and money. Some of them may be a bit more basic without all of the guided lines and will not be able to provide you with the proper feedback. The mirror can scratch in some cases if you’re not careful. (Make sure the bottom of the putter is clean before you start practising) Some brands may come without an instruction manual, videos or a travel bag.
Thus, it is obvious that the advantages of having a high-quality putting mirror are vast when compared to the disadvantages. It is therefore a very useful and fun item that is certainly going to improve your putting capabilities, adding an element of variety to your day-to-day practice.
Since about 43 % of all golf shots are putts the putter holds the most theoretical potential for improvement and needs to be practiced systematically. But what is it that makes a putt drop into the hole? To hole a putt, you need to:
1. Read the green correctly
2. Have the right speed
3. Be properly aligned
4. Make a good stroke with a clubface that is square at impact
Looking to improve your game? Make sure you check out Back 2 Basics Golf for Rangefinders, Putting Mirrors, Putting Mats and more!
