Golf Instruction

Putting is an essential, if not the most important, factor in playing winning golf. If you want to play near par, you must master the art of putting.

Unless you are comfortable on the green, you are not going to putt well. You need to have a grip that fits you (more on grips on another page) and you must take a relaxing stance that allows you to stroke the ball properly. No jerking allowed.

Most golfers prefer to take a stance with their knees slightly flexed and about shoulder width apart. Shoulders and hips need to be parallel to the intended line of the ball. I prefer to have my weight distributed equally on both feet, but if you need to, put more weight on the front foot so you don’t hit behind the ball and stub it.

The blade of the putter must be square to the ground. Any tilting and your putt is going to go astray.

First thing to do would be to take practice strokes next to the golf ball. This would help you feel the needed rhythm in putting the ball. You will need to do this as you don’t want your shot to be too awkward or too strong. Your arms should swing in a pendulum like motion.

Try to have some marker to help you focus and help you with proper alignment of your putt. A marker is where you will aim the ball as you putt. The position of this marker is dependent on the terrain of the golf course.

When getting ready to putt, be sure that your eyes are focused on the golf ball itself. It will help in lining up the putter with the golf ball. Do not to focus on the marker but more on how you will make your shot. The marker is sort of a guideline.

Remember that all putts are straight. It is your aim that will change. When aiming at a flat green just aim straight to the hole. You should practice so that all your putts just follow an imaginary line. When aiming in an elevated green, you should just putt the same. The difference is that you will aim directly at a point above the hole. What you want to happen is for the ball to stop at one point and to let gravity take your ball directly to the putt.

Long putts are more complicated but if mastered will help tremendously with your game. You should remember that a great long putt will eliminate the need for you to do short putts. The first thing to do is to sit down behind your ball and facing the hole. From that point of view you’ll get to see the low and high points of the green. If it’s a fairly straight green, you can just shoot a straight putt like the way you’re shooting for small putts. If it’s not, then try to evaluate whether to divide your long putt to smaller putts and putt accordingly.

Dividing a long putt depends on the terrain of the golf course. If you see a combination of straight and elevated terrain, dividing it would be better than trying to make your putt in one try. Try to eliminate the elevated terrain so you will just have to create a straight shot putt for your last shot.

Remember that nerves will always come into play when shooting your putts. Just stay relaxed and focused on your shots and you’ll do fine. Don’t blame anyone when you miss your putt, stay focused and just prepare your next shot as if it’s your first putt. Take a deep breath and don’t let your anger get the best of you.