7 Tips To Improve Your Putting

How many putts during a round have you been frustrated by that were dead center only to stop a few inches short?

How about the putts that miss the cup left or right and end up 3 or 4 feet past the hole? By using these 7 proven steps to improve your putting, you will lower your scores and your golf handicap.

When you look back at your scorecard, how many putts did you have during the round?

Consider that putting is accounts for half or more of our total score at the end of the day; don’t you think it would be a good idea to know exactly what happened with our putts?

When you think about it, most golf courses have 14 holes where you will tee off with a Driver or fairway wood. And depending on the golf course, you should expect to play 18 to 22 strokes using an iron, hybrid or fairway wood. But all 18 hole golf courses have the same number of strokes for putts (36).

This is a statistic that is ignored by many amateur golfers. It wasn’t until I started counting my putts during a round that I understand how important it was to track this stat.  Once I started recording my putts, I was able to analyze that part of my game and in doing so; I was able to start shaving strokes off my game.

Here are 7 tips to improve your putting:

1. Take time before you start your round to practice your putting. This may sound trivial, but this gets overlooked more often than you may think.  Practice putts from different lengths and angles to the hole.  Get a feel for the speed of the greens so you have an idea of the pace of the greens. Your goal here should be to get your first putt inside a manageable distance, so your second putt is nothing more than a tap in, inside 2 or 3 feet.

2. When out on the course, take time to get a good read for the contour of the green. Review your putt from different angles. You can do this while you’re playing partners are preparing to putt.

3. Watch how the putts from other players travel towards the hole. The best read is when someone is putting the same or similar line to your putt, but you can still gather valuable insight from putts that are from different directions.

4. When preparing to take your putt, if you have a longer putt, pick out a spot about 2 or 3 feet from your ball that is along your chosen path. Use this spot as your guide for lining up your putt. This little tip will allow you to focus on a target that is easy to line up.

5. Pick out a spot that is about 18 inches past the hole. Aim for that spot as your hole position so that, provided you have your direction right, you are going to have a good chance of making the putt.

6. Take several practice strokes to you have a feel for your putting stroke. Allow your mind and muscles to prepare for the final swing when you actually strike the putt.

7. Most importantly, when you have determined the line and speed your putt will need to travel to get into the cup, commit to it. Know that you have taken the time to prepare for your putt. Feel confident that you have done your homework and let your subconscious do the rest.

Use these 7 tips to improve your putting.

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