Many brilliant ball hitters never made an impact on the pro tour because they couldn’t kick well enough to win tournaments. What is that old saying, “drive for show and putt for dough”. The same can be said of us weekend lovers. The main difference is the amount of money that is at stake. Mainly for us weekend fans, it’s just a round of snacks and our pride that’s on the line instead of millions of dollars.
We can be sure to say a couple of things. The first is that putting on is an individual, comfort-oriented activity. If you look at players on the pro tours, you’ll see long putters, short putters, mid-length putters, spade and mallet-style putter heads. You’ll see a wide variety of ways the player grips the putter, from the claw grip to the low left hand style to the conventional grip and anything in between. Second, successful putters on the green have very little head movement, their eyes stay focused and their head stays still after the putter head strikes the ball.
I would venture to guess that the average weekend hobbyist takes very little time to practice their visualization and focusing skills. The average weekend amateur golfer can make great strides in their game if they take the time to really understand what it means to read a green and visualize a putt. The average weekend fan can also take the hits off his score if he develops his focus skills, especially putting. If he three-putts 5 or more holes a round, then developing his focus and visualization skills will pay dividends immediately.
The other thing to remember is that when you reduce the number of three putts from your average round, your confidence level will skyrocket. Whether you struggle with 40-foot lag putts or the short two-foot putt, a shot is a shot. The object of the game is to turn three hits into two hits.
Reading the green correctly will also help reduce the number of putts. Be aware of your surroundings. As you approach the green to putt, look to see if the green is sloping from back to front or if there are ridges on the green. These two things can give you a general idea of how the ball is going to break. Also, keep in mind if there are large bodies of water nearby or if you are playing in a hilly area where mountains or water meet in relation to the green, these two things will also affect putting speed and breakout. of the ball
Improving on a couple of putting-related elements can lower our scores and increase our enjoyment on the golf course.
