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Golf Tips Putting

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Golf Tips Putting - Reading Greens - Golf Putting Tips

Many beginning players focus only on a narrow area between their ball and the hole when reading a green, and this is a mistake.

Your initial read should be on the overall slope of the green. This is your first clue as to where the ball will break. Then, from behind the ball, take a wide view of the slope from left to right and back again. Finally, while crouched down or bent over (for a more accurate view of the undulations), choose your putting line.

Visualize your line and maintain this focus as you approach the ball to get set up for the putt. If you lose your focus, you probably won't be able to hit the ball where you intended.

It is important to note that your putt will be more affected by undulations the closer it gets to the hole because that is when it loses speed.

Golf Tips Putting - Soft Hands - Golf Putting Tips

Soft hands improve feel and relieve tension.

Golf Tips Putting - Putt With Arms - Golf Putting Tips

Putt with your arms, not your wrists.

Golf Tips Putting - Accelerate - Golf Putting Tips

Accelerate into the ball.

Golf Tips Putting - Grip Lower - Golf Putting Tips

Gripping lower on the shaft reduces club head speed.

Golf Tips Putting - When To Miss The Sweet Spot - Golf Putting Tips

Short, downhill putts can be difficult because they require an unusually short stroke. Here's a tip to help you convert more of those tricky downhill putts:

Adjust your set-up so that the ball is near the toe of the putter head. When you strike the ball near the toe, it will not react as lively as if you had hit it in the center of the putter head -- on the sweet spot.

By doing this, you will be able to take a longer, more comfortable stroke and the ball won't travel as far as it would normally.

It will take some time for you to perfect this technique when you are on the practice green. But you will be glad you did when you are standing over that quick 2-footer with your match on the line

Golf Tips Putting - Weight Forward - Golf Putting Tips

Body weight settled forward helps to keep body from moving.

Golf Tips Putting - Break - Golf Putting Tips

Sixty percent of the break occurs within three feet of the hole.

Golf Tips Putting - The Target Line - Golf Putting Tips

Do you have difficulty keeping the putter head on your target line when you take it away from the ball? Here are some tips that might help you keep it smooth and straight:

Try the forward press. Just before taking the putter back, move your hands forward. This technique helps eliminate the wristy action that causes mishits, and promotes a straight path.

Tap the putter head on the green. This was the signature move of the late Payne Stewart. Just before taking the putter head away from the ball, Stewart would tap it on the green a few times to relieve tension in his arms and hands.

Hover the putter head above the green. This technique is used by some players with their drivers off the tee. The purpose is the same with the putter -- hovering the putter head should promote a smooth takeaway because there are no sudden movements. The hands, arms and shoulders are already locked in to the feel of the takeaway. This technique also eliminates the possibility of the putter head getting snagged on the green on the way back.

Golf Tips Putting - Perfectly Stroked Putts - Golf Putting Tips

Even perfectly stroked putts do not always go in. It is a hard concept to handle while you are playing your round.

Golf Tips Putting - Eyes Over The Ball - Golf Putting Tips

Keep your eyes over the ball for the best position to see your aim and your putter.

Golf Tips Putting - Pendulum Stroke - Golf Putting Tips

Make a pendulum stroke using your shoulders and arms. You do not want to use your hands to take the putter back and through.

Golf Tips Putting - Downhill Putts - Golf Putting Tips

How to manage downhill putts

A downhill putt can be one of the most difficult -- and intimidating -- shots in golf. Here are a few tips to help you manage these putts more effectively:

On a long downhill putt, it is better to be past the hole than to come up short. If you are short, you will just leave yourself with another ticklish putt. It is easier to make a 6-footer uphill than a 3-footer downhill. If you miss the first putt, be sure to watch where it breaks after it passes the hole so you will have an accurate read for your comeback putt.

For short putts on a severe down slope, an effective trick is to pick a spot on the green short of the hole, and try to get the ball to stop at that spot. When you trick your mind, it is easier to make a tiny stroke, which is all you need on this type of putt.

Wind and grain also influence downhill putts, though most recreational players do not consider these factors when they are reading the green. A strong tailwind and a putt with the grain will make downhill putts roll even faster.

Golf Tips Putting - Putting In The Wind - Golf Putting Tips

Most players tend to underestimate the effect that wind can have on your putting.

Wind disrupts your balance -- particularly when it is gusting -- and that will create flaws in your putting stroke.

When putting in windy conditions, take a stance that is wider than normal and choke down on the grip of the putter. This will give you a firmer foundation and will reduce the chances of your body or your head being disrupted by the wind.

Golf Tips Putting - Lose The Yips - Golf Putting Tips

A case of the "yips" is a psychological condition that affects your nerves and, consequently, your ability to make short putts. The best drill to overcome this condition is to practice putting with your eyes closed.

After you are set up over the ball, close your eyes and start your putting motion. Keep your eyes closed until your putting stroke is completed, and make sure you follow through. Chances are good that you will begin to make more putts with your eyes closed than you did with them open.

When players suffer from the yips, the eyes send the wrong message to the brain. Players with the yips see four-footers as putts they are more likely to miss than make.

By closing your eyes you will learn to trust your stroke and will regain confidence. And confidence is the key to converting those par-saving four-footers.