How To Bring Confidence To Your Putting Using A Simple Putting Drill
The majority of amateurs do not complete an effective and efficient putting practice before a round of golf and this can be a major cause of dropping shots on the opening holes of a round. This failure to practice properly results in the following types of errors:
Their putts do not make it halfway to the hole Their putts take a line or path which they weren’t expecting it to take Their putts overshoots the hole by a large margin
For all amateur golfers, performing a 5 minute drill before going to the first tee can really pay off in your match. The following is a short drill that will give you confidence in the alignment of your putting and in your assessment of the speed of the greens.
Alignment
Line up for a long put using whatever preferred technique you regularly use. Place a short iron against the toes of your shoes then step away from the club and look down its line. Is it the line you had intended in your setup? This line is going to show the starting trajectory of your putts so you want to have this as accurate as possible. If the line is off then maybe your technique for lining up shots is a little off. Try picking a point closer to the ball instead of closer to the hole to start lining up your shot.
Distances
You can practice putting at several distances but it’s generally easier to recall the feeling of putting a short, medium and long distance putt. Here is the putting drill you should do.
Begin with a long putt. Try to make 8 to 12 of these putts and focus on making the distance the ball travels as close as possible to the correct length to establish long green speed.
Next choose a medium length putt around the 10 foot distance and preferably a distance which you experience often. Again, take up to 10 practice putts and try to get to within a meter of the hole. Being accurate is important with this drill so you wish to have some putts going in.
Lastly, pick some short putts within one to two meters of the hole. You will want to get a confidence boost here by seeing a high percentage of putts going in.
In conclusion, all amateurs should perform some putting drills prior to a round of golf to gauge the green speed, even if they play the course regularly, as factors such as the green’s soil water content, the time of the day and the length of the grass can adversely affect the ball speed.
Looking for more golfing tips? Stop by Tom’s site where you can discover the Golf Swing Perfect for Amateurs. Each ebook comes with free extras covering golfing tips
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