Putting is without a doubt one of the most important aspects of golf. It is also the best way to lower your score and can actually be the fastest way to shoot lower scores since improving your swing can take time whereas putting is primarily a mental game. The secret to great putting lies in your mind and in your ability to maintain your confidence.
Build Confidence:
Putting is all about confidence and it is when people lose their confidence in putting, that is when they start getting poor results on the green. Think about it for a second. How many different putting styles are there out there even on the PGA Tour yet they all produce great results and even the funkiest putting styles have been used to win major events.
So it is not the stroke that matters, however this does not mean you should ignore putting mechanics. In fact, if you are a beginner it is recommended that you take a lesson or two from your local golf pro just to get an idea of some of the mechanical approaches. A good mechanical tip is to make sure that your eyes are directly over the ball. This will help you to see the line of the putt better. After this you need to stick to one approach regardless of what other people might say. Do not chase the ‘perfect stroke’, it doesn’t exist. You are better off chasing the ‘perfect mentality’.
Putt To Make It:
So what is the ideal way to think to improve your putting. The bottom line is that when you step over the putt you must know the ball is going in the hole. I realize there are many that say for long putts you just want to get it close but I disagree because you are just increasing your margin for error if you are aiming for some 3 foot circle. Always putt to make it.
Before a round hit a few long putts to get the feel of the greens, you may even want to aim for the edge of the greens instead of the hole because you do not want to see yourself consistently missing putts.
With long putts you will not make the majority that is why when practicing to get the feel of a green putt to the fringe. This will help to maintain your confidence. You want to spend a lot of time practicing putts inside 10 feet as you should be making the majority of these and also they are important putts as they can make a big difference in your score.
Develop A Selective Memory:
Think of yourself as a great putter and see yourself making putts, forget the misses. You must develop a highly selective memory when it comes to putting and forget all your misses and only remember the ones you have made.
Constantly replay the great putts you have made in the past in your head both on the course and off. This again will help you to maintain supreme confidence every time you step over a putt. Also developing a solid pre shot routine that reminds you to become confident is very useful. When reading greens you want to trust your first impression and go with that.
Nobody reads greens perfectly every time, even the pros mess up constantly so be gentle on yourself if you misread a green. Again if you do misread a green, try to forget it and remind yourself again of all the times you accurately read a green and consequently made the putt.
The Importance Of Keeping The Mind Quiet:
The Importance Of Keeping The Mind Quiet:
You do not want to think about putting mechanics when are about to stroke the putt. The only thing that should run through your mind as you are about to stroke the putt is the target which should be something small like the blade of grass at the back of the hole or a foot to the right of the hole if the putt has break to it. Just let your mind and body work to automatically hit the putt with the right direction and distance. Keep your mind as silent as possible and let your natural athletic ability take over.
A good exercise to build a quiet mind is to focus on something neutral like the tip of a pen or your breathing. Try to only think of that neutral item and if other thoughts enter your mind then gently return your focus back on that item. Over time it will become easier to slip into that quiet state of mind. Apply this to each putt by focusing on the target and only that. These are some of the tips the greatest putters follow and there is no reason you cannot be a great putter too. Good luck and happy putting.
Cheers, Jon
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