Improve Your Putting With These Four Exercises.
Learning to have a top-notch golf swing is hard to do. The best most of us can attain to is an adequate swing that will get the ball around the course without getting us into too much trouble. The green is a different matter, though. There is no reason why any recreational golfer can't putt like a scratch player. These four exercises will get you started.
Circle Exercise. Hit putts from four sides of the hole from one foot away, then from two feet, then from three feet. The goal is to sink all twelve putts in a row. If you miss one, start over. When you get good at this drill, add a round of putts from four feet, and sink sixteen putts in a row.
If you have trouble with short putts, you might try modifying your stroke. Shorten your backswing, shorten your follow-through, and pop the ball into the hole. By a short backswing, I mean 3"-4". Such a short backswing doesn't allow time for your nerves to misalign the putter or yank it off course. By the word "pop", I mean a sharp, controlled tap. I don't mean a lurch.
Hula Hoop Exercise. Unless the ball gets to the hole, it won't go in. This exercise is designed to help you if your habit is to leave approach putts short. Go to a toy store and get hula hoop. Cut it in half so you have two half circles. Lay down one of the half circles so the cut ends are even with the hole. The rest of the hoop will make a half circle behind the hole. Hit to the hole so the ball ends up inside the half circle, but without touching the hoop before it stops rolling.
Random Distance Exercise. Lay four balls on the green 15, 20, 25, and 30 feet from the hole. Putt all of them to within two feet of the hole. Mix up the sequence, say 25, 15, 30, and 20, so that every putt truly differs from the one you just hit. Repeat the exercise with a sequence of longer putts from 30, 35, 40, and 45 feet. Be sure to putt out each ball. Learn to deal with second putts that aren't as close as you'd like them to be.
Two Putts Exercise. We don't like to three-putt from 50 feet, but from 15 feet a three-putt is maddening and is a needless waste of a stroke. This exercise will teach you to be confident at a range from which you frequently putt. Putt one ball from 15 feet and get down in two. Move to another place around that hole, or putt at a different hole, again from 15 feet, and get down in two. Repeat at length, giving yourself a different putt every time.
Bob Jones is dedicated to showing recreational golfers the little things, that anyone can install in their swing and game, that make a big difference in how they play. See more at www.bettergolfbook.com