The most often used club in every bag is the putter, therefore it is crucial to the success of your game to master it. These putting tips make no reference to swing technique or type of putter choice as they very personal, so do what suits you and stick to it. The following great putting tips will hopefully go some way to help you master this very precise skill and reduce your scores.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do line up the ball with the hole every time. Use the brand name or even a marked ball to line up with. Do play more break on fast greens, the ball will take shorter time to get to the same point so make allowances for this. This also applies to playing along slopes. Vice versa for slow greens, take this into account when you are reading the green. If it is a new course, watch how it affects other players. Do concentrate on the right speed before worrying about the right line, a putt that is slightly off line still has a chance of dropping in when the speed is right. Even if it is a foot off-line you will still have a tap in whereas if the speed is wrong you may still have difficult second putt. Do play more break on downhill putts and less on uphill putts. As above. Do make your short putts easier, like chess try forward planning, try to hit your long putts to the easiest place from which to make your second putt. Do take the final ‘gimme’ putt, don’t pick your ball up when it is near the hole and assume you putted it. It will build your confidence and technique to ‘know’ you did it. Do be positive, putting is a mental game especially short putts, if you think it won’t go in it invariably won’t. Do try practice putting with your eyes closed, it amazing how it works without the eyes confusing matters. Don’t stop upon contact with the ball, keep your stroke power consistent when following through the shot. Try to take your backswing at the same speed you wish to hit it and continue through. Don’t practice on bad greens it will only dent your confidence. Don’t change your mind mid shot, be committed, a doubtful strike will never go where you want.

By: Dave Furnevall

About the Author:

It is widely known among golfers that the mental game of golf is probably the most important thing to perfect when trying to lower your score. It is also common knowledge that one of the quickest ways to improve your score is to perfect your putting. Since putting accounts for more strokes than any other shot, it provides the greatest opportunity for improvement. If you can combine a powerful mental game to go with your putting, your score will show some solid improvement very quickly. Here are three ways to improve the mental game of golf as it pertains to putting.

1. Pre-Putt Routine
Developing a pre-putt routine is key to gaining a calm, confident state of mind prior to putting. The routine should be something that has been proven to work in the past, and it must be repeated before each putt. There can be any combination of things in a pre-putt routine, but as long as they have been shown to be successful, and you repeat them the same way each time, it will help immensely.

2. Reading The Green
Reading the green before each putt is a crucial part of the mental game of golf. If you properly read the green on a regular basis it will boost your confidence. Confidence is crucial to success in putting, and all golf shots. When reading the green, it is a good idea to get an overall impression of the green. This can reveal subtle slopes that may not be as evident when focusing on the area between the ball and the hole. You also want to get multiple angles, and evaluate the grain of the grass.

3. Picture Your Putt
Creating a mental picture of the shot you are about to perform is the most powerful way to gain confidence, and insure a solid attempt. The mental game of golf is all about confidence, and relaxation. Nobody can make a solid putt without being relaxed, and confident. When it comes to picturing the putt, you want to picture, in as much detail as possible, the entire putt. From the time you begin your stroke, until the ball falls in the hole. I cannot stress how important this is for putting, and the entire mental game of golf. If you can work this into your pre-putt routine, this alone will lower your score guaranteed.

So try to develop a pre-putt routine that includes reading the green, and picturing the putt. This is the mental game of golf in a nutshell, and it will do wonders for your score.

By: Michael James Young

About the Author:

Today its slowly becoming commonplace to see tour professionals putting with their eyes closed in tournaments. In fact a growing number of players use this golf putting technique in practice. Another common trick is to look at the hole rather than at the ball while putting. The golfer Johnny Miller used the technique at the 1994 Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The technique is widely believed to be helpful to golfers with yips.

Medical research has indicated that golf players with yips have rapid eye movements (REM) during the stroke. It is the eyes which transmit necessary information to the brain. Golfers who use the eyes closed or focused on the hole technique receive information about the club head, putter momentum and stroke path through the hands.

Why do players adopt this golf putting technique and what are the advantages of using the closed eye technique for golfers? These techniques are most commonly used by golfers who struggle with their stroke during their golf putting practice. When a player is low on confidence, he can get relief by focusing on the hole rather than the ball or by closing their eyes completely. This technique leads to mental clarity, almost like getting physically away from the pressure of the situation. Moreover it allows the golfers’ own confidence and feel for the course to take over and dispatch the ball to its destination.

Here is a golf putting tip with closed eyes technique. Place three balls 10 feet from the cup, and three more each at a distance of 20 and 30 feet. At 10 feet putt the first ball as you normally would with your eyes open. As you putt the second ball, start as you normally do with your eyes open. Before you actually putt, close your eyes. Try and focus on the feel of the putter head during the stroke. Mentally guess where the ball will end up once it stops rolling. Repeat the procedure for the third ball from 30 feet and close your eyes just before making the stroke. Repeat the procedure at each three-ball station. When you incorporate this golf putting drill into your practice routine, you will steadily develop a better feel on the greens.

Can individual golfers use these techniques? As far as individual golfers are concerned, experts believe it’s probably not a great idea for an individual golfer to close his or her eyes during play. However the recreational golfer can certainly use the closed eye technique in their golf putting practice routines. This golf putting technique should help golfers develop better feel in their putting stroke.

For More information on putting, check out this collection of putting tips: Golf Putting Technique

By: John Davenport

About the Author:

Putting comprises by far the largest single piece of the golfing puzzle. Most estimates say it is about 40% of the whole game.

Obviously, cutting back on the number of putts you take is the fastest way to improve your golf scores. And there are many places online you can find putting lessons. Many are free, others are putting instruction ebooks.

Golfers are still people, and people have a natural tendency to want to get something for nothing. The same is true with online putting lessons. The same people who are willing to pay a teaching professional $50 for a putting lesson balk at the idea of spending half that much for an ebook.

Are online putting lessons or ebooks worth a try? I say definitely yes based on my personal experience. Here are some things you need to consider before you make a purchase of any online putting lesson or ebook.

The main thing to look at if considering any online product is if there’s a money back guarantee? If the answer is no, then don’t risk it. They don’t have enough confidence in their own product, so it will probably not be very useful.

The other thing to look at is what it promises. A book that promises help with short putting is a good choice for a poor short putter. Does it address your problems with reading greens? In short, does the product address your specific putting problems.

You know what you need in a putting lesson, online or otherwise. But you shouldn’t be put off by buying an ebook that addresses your problem. It may contain a nugget of wisdom you have overlooked that will change your golfing world.

And if it doesn’t, you can always ask for a refund under the guarantee policy.

By: Rylan Tanner

About the Author:

Everybody needs to work on their putts. I don’t care how long you’ve been playing golf, or what kind of pro you are. We all need to practice putting. Here are some tips from the pros that will help you get your putting up to par. Try some of these and see what works best!

- Always do a couple practice putts before you start your game. Don’t try to make a hole; just get the ball in the general direction. Focus on your swing, not making the hole. By doing some practice putts, you can also get a feel for how fast the ball will run on the green.

- Practice easy putts. Don’t worry about making a long shot. Definitely practice a few long ones, but for the most part, stick to within 6-feet. Missing every practice putt will only hurt your confidence, and there’s more to a good putt than just making the hole.

- It’s amazing how much confidence has to do with putting. In golf, more than any other sport, player confidence is key. And, it’s a problem that amateurs and pros alike have to deal with. Keep this in mind when you’re putting, and train yourself to stay confident, even when the ball doesn’t go where you want it to.

- Don’t look at the ball when you’re making your target – look just ahead of the ball. Focus on a spot right in front, a spot that you want that ball to roll over. After you hit it, you’ll know if you’ve made the shot or not by whether you see it cross that spot.

- Don’t move! Check your position before the shot and make sure it’s perfect. But, don’t move out of your position until the ball is well on its way. If you get impatient and want to watch that ball fly toward the hole, you may straighten up too fast and lose control over your putt.

- There are some ways you can keep yourself from naturally following that ball and ruining your putt. For example, look at the spot the ball was on, after it rolls off. To practice this, you can lay a coin under the ball, and keep your eyes on the coin after the ball has rolled completely off.

- When you’re practicing, there are putting drills you can do. For example, put in 5 balls from a distance of 1 foot; then move back a foot. Then another and another, and if you miss one shot, you have to start the whole thing over again from one foot.

- For some really deep, heavy-duty putting practice, close your eyes when you putt. With your eyes closed, you’ll be more aware of the way the rest of your body moves. You’ll feel your torso twist and your shoulders swing steadily, just like a pendulum with the club swinging from it.

- Practice like crazy. That’s the best golf putting tip anybody can give you. The longer you’re out there practicing, the more you’ll develop a feel for it. Like everything else, practice makes perfect!

By: Rich Fuller

About the Author:

In this series of articles I will be outlining several putting drills which you can use to improve your putting.

]]> http://www.fix-golf-slice.com/635/good-putting-drills-before-the-game/feed/ 0 http://www.fix-golf-slice.com/627/golf-putting-tip-no-more-three-putts/ http://www.fix-golf-slice.com/627/golf-putting-tip-no-more-three-putts/#comments Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:03:01 +0000 admin http://www.fix-golf-slice.com/627/golf-putting-tip-no-more-three-putts/

By how many shots would your golf scores improve and your handicap do down if you could eliminate all your 3 putts or dare we even say 4 putts? With the drill I am going to give you should be able slash between 5 and 12 shots off your next round of golf – regardless of what you are currently shooting. Think about that for a minute. If you are consistently shooting just above 100, you could break into the 90′s. If you are shooting in the low 90′s, you could break into the 80′s. Now that is exciting.

But how can you accomplish this? I am going to give you a drill to practice. This drill will give you more confidence for sinking more putts. Putting is very much a feel and confidence aspect of the game and the more putts you sink the higher your confidence will soar.

For this putting drill, you will need 10 golf balls. I suggest you use the same golf balls for all 10 and that they are the brand and type you normally play during a round of golf. Believe it or not, there is a difference in golf balls and they all have differing characteristics.

Finally, here is the drill:

Select the most central hole and place all your golf balls there. This will be your starting point Next, select 5 holes (one for every two balls you have) anywhere on the remainder of the green. The more varied the distance and slope the better the practice session. The object of this drill is to get your ball within 2 feet of the hole. From the central hole, putt two balls to each of the holes selected. Once you have putted all 10 golf balls proceed to each hole and complete the hole. Keep count your putts and and them up at the end of the practice session. Once all the balls have been sunk, putt them back to the starting hole. Once you have putted all the balls back towards the starting hole continue to putt out the hole. Never, I repeat, Never take a “gimme”. Even if you are 1 inch from the hole, you should always putt out. Repeat the entire putting drill. Also, where possible select a new starting and different outer holes for variety. Keep going until you have at least five circuits without a single 3 putt.

This drill works best when you have the putting green to yourself, as you will be using 5 – 7 holes. However, if there are only one or two other players practicing, ask them to join you and make it a friendly competition.

After completing the drill you will have better judgment on the speed and break of the greens.

So here’s to no more 3 putts!

By: Rick Byrd

About the Author:

Rick Byrd is the author of a cutting-edge golf newsletter and founder of GolfSwingImprovements.com website. For more information about Putting Tips go to GolfSwingImprovements.com and sign up for the free golf tips.

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