When a person is having trouble controlling either the path or the club face in their putting stroke they need to learn how to produce better angles. This can only be done by working on something you've never done before, which naturally creates tension. Remember the first time you put on roller skates or road a skateboard? Yeah, you were tense, fighting for balance and awkward, but eventually after your muscles learned the motion you developed a softness and rhythm. Learn a new putting grip or stroke is not different.

It always amazes me during a Cote Golf Instruction putting lesson how students remark 'wow, I'm making all these putts with discount golf clubs now, but my hands feel tight....shouldn't they be relaxed". The answer is yes....eventually! Right now you need to tell those set of muscles "hey, you need to do this", which creates some tension. Imagine taking a salsa lesson for the first time and running through the various positions and transitions? You will be tense and awkward, but after some practice you develop confidence and slowly relax allowing yourself to be rhythmic. Why, because the muscles have learned the motion. When learning a motion there is increase tension!

Try The Opposing Pressure Drill: Try this drill when putting to eliminate excess clubface rotation and poor swing path.

1) Take your putting posture without discount golf clubs
2) Arrange your palms together as if you were praying to the ground
3) Slip a penny between your palms and don't let it slip
4) This will create tension pushing your palms together slightly. Keyword is slight!
5) Now work your shoulders back and forth in the cliché rocking motion while keeping pressure on the penny
6) Read number #5 again please it is very important