THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING WELL
W L
GOLF
THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING WELL
BY TOM ATKINSON , PGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL
We can go out on the range and try and increase our swing speed , we can increase the accuracy of our mid irons and dial in our wedges from 100 yards and this will all significantly help us to lower our scores , but that said , it doesn ' t matter at what level your game is , putting the ball better will have the greatest impact on your scores .
Not only that but it is actually the easiest area to see an improvement , there can be a saving of as much as 4 / 5 shots a round by eliminating simple re-occurring errors .
Think about it this way , on any given hole , all the work you ' ve done to get the ball to the green is all in an effort to give yourself a chance of holing the putt , it ' s the culmination of events .
So how do you improve ? Putting is a game within a game , and like any game , you need to start with self belief , if you don ' t believe you can hole it then why even try ? The mental strength that the best putters in the game possess is astonishing , none more so in our generation than Ian Poulter , especially when it comes to the Ryder Cup . Watch the miracle at Medinah to refresh your memory ,
OK , so every putt you face should be one that you are trying to hole , why ? It ’ s not realistic I hear people say , because if not then you are trying to miss , right ? You and I , and Rory McIlroy all know that you are unlikely to hole everything you look at , and to put your mind at ease , take at look at this ' make percentage ' chart from the PGA tour , it highlights not only the importance of putting well but also the realistic chance you have from certain distances .
Too many people I coach and play with are fixated with the hole on longer putts , on shorter putts yes as this is a more specific target for you to aim at but on the longer ones you need to focus on something on your start line that you can roll the ball over , take tenpin bowling for example , they have little arrows on the lane a metre or so from the threshold , if you concentrated your release of the ball over one of these I ' m certain you would see a more positive outcome .
This next part is something I wish I had listened to more when I was younger , every putt should have the same level of attention and concentration given to it , be it a tap in or a 50 footer , after all they all count as a stroke on your card , it ' s too easy to write off the shorter ones as given , and then miss it , this happens more so having failed to make what you would class as a make able one with the previous stroke . On too many occasions when I was more naive I would end up prodding the ball back and forward despondently , what a waste ! Have the same routine throughout , read the putt , ascertain a start line , make a stroke worthy of the speed you require .
Let ' s finish with this quote from Ben Sayers :
" A good player who is a great putter is a match for any golfer , a great hitter who cannot putt is a match for no one ."
I hope to see you out on the practice greens around the North West , don ' t forget , lessons are available at Heswall Golf Club , please contact us in the pro shop on 0151 342 7431 .
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