Putting Tips

We all need some putting tips no matter how many years we've been golfing. The skill, no, let's call it the "art" of putting can be difficult to master. There are many ways to improve your putting technique. Once you learn some simple and effective putting tips, tricks and drills to practice, your putting will improve.

Before we continue with some tips, one way to know your putting technique is not solid (other than the fact you're missing the putts...), is when the ball rolls with a swivel or twist. Here's a list of things you can try today to improve your putting:

• 1) The golf ball should roll end over end straight toward the hole or along your intended target line. The easiest way to know this is to draw line around your ball and use that as you're aim line. You can watch as it rolls and see if that line stays traight.
  
  
• 2) The blade of your putter should be square to the hole. If it is not the ball will roll to one side or the other and miss the hole.
  
  
• 3) Putt while looking at the hole instead of the ball. - This helps you focus on the distance the ball needs to roll.
  
  
• 4) Putt with only one arm to make the swing more natural and not robotic.
  
  
• 5) Putt without looking up until the ball drops in the hole or stops rolling. This is a great drill for makng sure all the fundamentals are being used and your consistency is the beneficiary!
  
  
• 6) A final putting tip would be to practice guessing where the ball will end up after you swing and hit it without looking toward the hole. After you guess how close and to what side it rolled then look and see if you were guessing correctly. This helps your senses become more in tune with your putting swing and can help you become more accurate.

Mastery With Putting Starts In The Mind

I'm sure you know that in the end, once you've integrated some basic fundamentals of putting, the ability to hole putts consistently relies mostly on your mindset and confidence. Now don't automatically assume that confidence results ONLY from knowing you have good fundamentals.

No, as there are many fundamentally sound putters out there that can't make the putts when it matters. So confidence is FIRST. You must see yourself as a great putter and then practice like you are one! Then, yes, then they will start dropping into the hole regularly...

I trust you'll try these putting tips and become a great putter over time as putting is the easiest skill to learn but the toughest art to master...