Golf is a game filled with exasperating contradictions. All
golfers understand that the game requires concentration, but not
over-thinking, a strong focus, yet the ability to see the "big
picture," and a rigid routine, but one which allows for
creativity. As Bob Hope once remarked, "If you watch a game,
it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. If you work at it,
it's golf."
Nowhere are the contradictions more apparent than on the green,
where a simple task--pushing a ball into a hole in the
ground--is loaded with tension and anxiety. Golfers have
attempted everything from expert instruction to hypnosis trying
to make every putt on the green. Relax, even the pros can't do
that.
Rather than making the occasional monster 35 foot putt, your
goal should be to master a few techniques that will enable you
to sink those most important putts--those pesky 3 to 10
footers--with greater confidence and much more frequency.
Three primary skills need to be mastered in order to become a
proficient putter. First, keep you head down! Seeing the ball at
impact is a simple idea, but it is too often over-ridden by the
excitement of wanting to see where your ball is going. Lifting
your head, even slightly, to watch the path of your ball before
it has been struck can mean a change in the angle of your putter
head, which often results in a line significantly off target,
even for short putts. Just as important as keeping your head
down is keeping it still.
A second major skill is to learn to visualize. Amateur golfers
typically read their putts by examining only the immediate path
from the ball to the hole. In fact, you should scan as broad a
perspective as possible when assessing a putt. Try to develop a
mental picture of the entire green--where the high side is
located, the severity of the tilt, and a general idea of speed,
break and ball path.
Once you have evaluated the entire green, narrow your focus to
the area where you'll be putting. Visualize how you think the
ball is going to track. Imagine its precise path directly into
the hole. By starting with the big picture and then narrowing it
to a more manageable size, you take control.
Finally, think distance, not speed! While the ultimate objective
of getting your ball in the hole doesn't change, a subtle shift
in approach--emphasizing distance, not speed--can bring major
improvement in your overall putting ability. Distance control
comes primarily from the symmetry of your stroke.
The ideal putting stroke moves as far backward as it does
forward, with both parts of the stroke in equal temp. This even
rhythm can be achieved through a combination of diligent
practice and the real understanding that the putter, not you, is
responsible for doing the work.
By keeping your head down and still, visualizing from broad to
narrow before you putt and concentrate on distance rather than
speed, you'll start making putts that you formerly missed.
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