Tips for Better Putting: Improve your Putts

Use the toe of the putter on downhill putts

It is well known that downhill putts can be fast and difficult. Try this technique performed by many pros: Hit the ball with the toe of the putter, not the sweet spot. This tends to “deaden” the jump on the ball and stops it from going way past the hole. But refrain from performing this trick on uphill putts!

Putt to the “High Side” of the Cup

When about to perform breaking putts, professional golfers will almost always favor the “high” side of the hole rather than the “low” side. It is common knowledge among golfers of all ages and skills that as a putt is breaking near a hole, gravity works in your favour if the ball is above the hole. However, if the ball is breaking away on the “low” side of the hole, gravity will then be working against you. Remember: “It’s the pro side not the low side!”

Try to push through the ball

On the stretch, one thing you don't want to happen is to find yourself uncomfortable over a short putt. Yips usually come from the golfer decelerating, the putter also tends to stray offline and then you've just missed a putt! In order to stop this you must practice a simple exercise to help instil mechanics of a more efficient style at the hole.

First, place golf balls from one foot to about two feet from the hole, in a circle on the practice green. Stand over the ball with the putter as usual, only this time, do not use any backswing. So in short, push the ball with the putter instead of hitting it. Hold the finish until the ball drops into the hole. Have you got it? Great, now do it from a further distance of about three-to-five feet. By doing this, you are training your body to push through the ball rather than striking it.

The professionals and most other golfers accelerate and push the ball from ten feet anyway but as you will do it from short range; you will need to maintain a steady and straight roll toward the hole. Remember you want to make the hole not stop short of it or overshoot it so your judgment is important. When you get used to the flat terrain, try practicing on a sloped hill and putts that break left or right. Now knowing that your body is trained to accelerate, all you have to do is read the line, pick your spot and make a confident stroke!

Your Eyes are the key to the best Putt

One of the most frequently asked questions about putting is:

Q. "How do I improve the feel on lag putting?"

A. Well, in short, use your eyes! In most other target-oriented sports like basketball, the player's eyes are almost always looking at the target while shooting the ball. On the other hand, golfers tend to glance at the target and stare at the ball. While on the practice green, try practising looking at the hole, allowing your eyes to tell your body how far to roll the ball and how much acceleration it needs. When you are putting, use the feeling that your eyes have just told you to perform the putt. Improving you feel will improve the putting performance and obviously will higher your scores.

Don’t Grip too tightly!

Gripping onto the putter can be done in so many ways but is is very important not to have a dominant hand on the putter while holding it. If you have one of your hands tighter than the other, this will cause the tension in your shoulders to be uneven. The shoulder to the hand that is tighter on the putter will be more tense than the loose hand’s shoulder. This will result in a missed putt!

Start sinking those putts now and check out the Purepoint Golf Putting DVD Series!