This month let us look at developing skill and awareness on the putting green. In this article you will learn some putting practice skills which will help you to be able to judge distance more easily and then to make putting stroke that will send the ball in the direction you intend.
One thing is for certain when you play, at some time on every hole you will be on the green and putting. If you are on a par 4 on you are on the green in 2 shots, you hit your first putt to within centimeters of the hole then that final few centimeters counts as one shot just as the long tee shot you hit counts as one shot.
The challenge is that many golfers spend time on the range trying to perfect their swing and then go to the putting green and practice missing. I regularly see golfers on the green with two, three or more balls hitting putts that do not go in the hole. Why practice missing?
First, you should practice putts you know you will hole. Many golfers practice putts from long distances and forget the 0.5m, 1.0m and the 1.5m putts which you will have on the golf course. Many of the top golfers will end there putting practice by having to hole out 30, 50 or even 100 putts from 0.5m before they finish. That is 100 putts without missing the hole, if you miss you start again.
That practice is great for playing under pressure and with the consequence of what happens if you should miss the hole. The rest of the time on the putting green you should be testing yourself to judge distance and watching how putts roll on the green according to the slope of the green, this will help you to be able to “look” and “feel” putts more accurately and instinctively when you play.
PRACTICE 1: Left, Right, Left and then Hole it!
Position yourself 1m from the hole with your putter and three golf balls.
Take your normal set-up and grip and be ready to putt.
With the first ball, aiming at the hole make a putting stroke that sends the ball to the right of the hole and misses the hole.
With the next ball, aiming at the hole make a putting stroke that sends the ball to the left of the hole and misses the hole.
Now, with the final ball, aim at the hole and hit it straight in. And you will.
Why practice missing? Well, when you look at what you normally do, you try to hole the putts and miss, this time you aimed at the hole and intended to miss, that is success. First you miss right, then left and then you hole it, 100% success.
After you have practiced this for a short time, just hit the putts in the hole from 1m, you could do it with your eyes closed!
PRACTICE 2: Find the Distance – perfect for practice before you play
This drill is great for developing the feel of the speed of the greens before you play very quickly.
Again take three golf balls, position yourself between 5-10 steps from the hole. The aim is not to hole the putts, only to judge distance. Hit the first putt and send the ball 3 or 4 m past the hole, then with the second ball hit the ball halfway to the hole and then hit the third ball to the hole.
You will find that by hitting the ball first long and then short that you can then hit the third ball in between the other two and the correct distance to the hole. As you improve try different distances and uphill and downhill putts. The great part about this drill is that you are only judging distance and not trying to get the ball into the hole. That is for the golf course.
PRACTICE 3: Hit the moving ball, practice for two players.
With a friend, stand 4m to 5m apart on the putting green. The first player hits the ball to the second player. The second player hits the ball back without stopping the ball. The aim is to notice how well you can hit the ball and that you do not need to think about what you do you can just “DO IT”. This practice session will improve your ability to hit the ball better when you putt normally, because it develops the feel and flow to your putting stroke which will help when “under pressure”.
I guarantee that if you begin to practice this way you will improve you ability to judge distance and those short putts will become easier.
Until next month.
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