Golf Magazine recently offered tips on the five mistakes most high handicappers make during short putts…
So to help you next time you are out on the course, here they are in simple terms with tips to avoid each one:
First, most golfers don’t practice their short putts enough.
If you want to make more putts on the courseâŠmake more putts off the course.
Second, high handicappers donât have a system.
Design a routine that will get you comfortable and confident every time.
The simpler the better.
Third, you don’t look at the hole on practice strokes.
Looking at the hole when putting takes the brain out of the way at impact.
Focus on a stroke to get the ball to the back of the cup, not just trickling over the front edge.
Fourth, be more aggressive.
No confidence leads to deceleration or guiding the ball to the holeâŠand neither works well.
Try to hit the ball with purpose and take out some of the break.
And fifth, don’t look up to soon!
Listen to the ball drop in the hole.
Gary player said the only reason we look up when putting is because weâre unsure.
Commit to listening for the ball to drop on short puts and youâre committing to your line and your confidence.
Try out these tips and let us know how they work in the comments below!
By Frank LaRosa, a popular Northern California radio and television personality and golf writer who has chronicled the game and industry across multiple platforms since 1988. He currently produces and hosts a daily golf radio feature for Sports 1140 KHTK called âGolf to Go.â He has hosted a series of Emmy nominated golf programs for KVIE television called âTee Time: Golf in Northern California.â He has written about golf for numerous print publications including NCGA magazine and Sacramento Magazine. His work in golf has garnered him numerous accolades including induction into the Sacramento Golf Hall of Fame and California Golf Hall of Fame, Honorary membership into the PGA, and he is a three-time winner of the Northern California PGA Media Person of the Year award.
