Unit 3 Quiz

Upon making contact with the ball on a putt, what should you do?

Accelerate the club head smoothly through the ball. "Since the putting stroke is a smooth, pendulum-like motion, it is important that players accelerate with a smooth, consistent tempo through the ball."

If a ball is "in the leather", what does that mean?

It is very close to the hole. "The putter can be a "ruler" of sorts. By placing the head of the putter in the hole, and placing the shaft just above your ball, you can measure whether or not your ball is "in the leather" or closer to the hole than the distance from the club head to the grip."

What are the main keys to an effective pre-putt routine?

It must be comfortable and consistent. "You must find a pre-putt routine that works for you. The routine in the lesson is merely a guide. An effective pre-putt routine is comfortable and consistent."

What is the key to a successful putting stroke?

It must be consistent. "Consistency is the key to a successful putting stroke. A consistent stroke makes it possible for a player to judge distance and keep balls on line."

What should you do if your opponent asks you to move your coin that's marking your ball?

Measure a club head from the coin and replace it. "It is considered good etiquette to ask if your coin will interfere with another player's line. The best way to move your coin is to point your club head at a fixed object with the heel of the club head on the edge of the coin. Lift the coin and move it where the toe is. After the other player putts, replace your coin by once again measuring a club head and move the coin from toe to heel."

Derek is faced with a twenty-foot uphill birdie putt. If he makes it, he will win the Homely Fort Golf Club Tournament for the second consecutive year. A par would give him the opportunity to win in a sudden-death playoff. If he bogeys, however, he will finish second to his arch rival Nomar. What should be going through Derek's mind about the speed of the putt?

Play it to stop about eighteen inches past the hole. "By attacking the hole too aggressively, Derek could run his putt way past the hole and be faced with a long putt to save par. If he is really careful and leaves it short, he doesn't give himself a chance to make his first putt. He should try to make it; if he misses, however, he wants it to stop about a foot and a half past the hole."

From the fairway, Jorge hits his second shot safely on the green of the par four seventh hole. What is the most courteous thing he will do when he reaches the green?

Repair his ball mark and one other. "It is absolutely imperative that all players repair the course! If everyone does his or her part, the course will be nice for all those who play on it."

Paul, after going through his pre-putt routine, steps up and addresses the ball. He begins to think he might have read the putt wrong. What should he do?

Step back and go through the pre-putt routine again. "If you reach this part of the pre-putt routine with any doubt, step back and start over. Otherwise, without confidence, you have no chance to make the putt."

Bernie is faced with a tough putt that he knows is going to break a lot from left to right. About a foot behind the hole, there is a very steep decline. Bernie knows that if his putt reaches that decline, it will roll all the way to the bottom of a long hill and he will be faced with a very long putt. He decides to hit the putt slowly to avoid ending up at the bottom of the hill. What will happen since he is putting the ball so slowly?

The ball will break more. "The harder a putt is hit, the less it will break; the softer a putt is hit, the more it will break."

At the moment you take your putting stroke, what should your eyes do?

They should be fixed on the ball. "Regardless of what pre-putt routine you use, you must watch the ball in order to hit it."

In their foursome, Roger and Tino are the last two to putt out. Roger's ball is four feet away from the hole; Tino's is six feet away. How should they determine who putts first?

Tino's ball is farther away than Roger's, so Tino should putt first. The player whose ball is farthest from the hole is "out" and hits first.

Which of the following would most likely cause a player to leave a putt short?

playing the ball too far forward in his or her stance "By playing the ball too far forward in his or her stance, a player is likely to either hit the top of the ball or hit the ground before making contact with the ball. Either of these mistakes could cause a putt to end up short of its intended destination."

Derek, while pointing at a picture about fifteen feet from him, closes his right eye. When he does this, the picture appears to move several inches to the left. Which is his dominant eye?

right "The eye that you close that makes the object appear to move is your dominant eye."

When putting, where should you play the ball in relation to the centerline of your stance (or body)?

slightly forward of the centerline "Playing the ball slightly back of the centerline and at the centerline causes players to hit down on the ball. This causes putts to bounce rather than roll smoothly. When playing the ball way forward of the centerline, players can easily hit the ground first or hit the top of the ball on their upswing. Either of these errors would most likely cause the ball to end up short."

What two factors have the most influence on the break of a putt?

slope of the green and the speed of the putt "The slope of the green is the main factor in how much a putt will break. Speed is the other factor; the harder a putt is hit, the less it will break; the softer a putt is hit, the more it will break."

Which body part is used most in the putting stroke?

the arms "Except the arms, the rest of the body should be "quiet," or motionless. The wrists should stay specifically uninvolved in the putting stroke. The arms cause this pendulum motion to occur."

Like a rifle, your golf ball has a built-in sight it can use for aiming putts. What is it?

the logo or printing on the ball "The printing on the ball can be lined up with the line of the putt and used as a sight"

The motion of the putting stroke would be most like which of the following descriptions?

the pendulum of a clock "The putting stroke is a smooth, consistent, back-and-forth motion--like that of a clock's pendulum. A waterfall is consistent, but only down. Pistons move with variable speed depending on how much the accelerator is pushed down. The wind is variable and inconstant--soft one moment, violent the next."

When using your putter and dominant eye to determine the slope of the green as described in the lesson, what provides the target for your upcoming putt?

the top of the shaft where it covers or passes the hole "The top of the shaft of your "plumb" or level putter will provide an accurate target for your putt."

Which of the following is not a legitimate reason for a player to mark his or her ball while on the green?

to change to a softer ball for putting "A player marks his or her ball mainly to clean it and move it from another player's line. Additionally, a player can mark the ball to line up the writing of the ball with the line of the putt. A player cannot, however, have a ball that is used specifically for putting. Changing balls to putt is illegal unless the original ball is damaged."