How To Shave Strokes Off Your Putting Game
Every golfer wants to find ways to shave strokes off their scorecard. One of the most effective ways to lower your scores is to focus on your putting game. Working on putting can help you to lower your handicaps and shave a few extra strokes off your game.
Lead With Your Opposite Hand
If you’re right-handed, you might assume that you should lead with your right hand when you’re putting. However, if you want consistent results, you’re going to need to use your opposite hand to guide your putts. The opposite is true for left-handed golfers; you should be leading with your right hand.
To practice this skill, try putting only with your opposite hand. While this can be challenging, it can help you to use that hand to effectively guide your putts.
Make Sure You Start Your Putts On The Line
Many golfers struggle to start the ball on the intended line. Mastering this skill is an excellent way to shave strokes off your game. If a ball is even one degree off its target line, it will be inches off from its target by the time it reaches the hole.
There’s no easy trick to make sure you start putts on the line every time. However, it’s easier to hone this skill if you use an alignment stick when you’re practicing your putts. Practicing in this way can help you to see if your alignment is off so that you can correct the mistakes you’re making and adjust your putts.
Work On Your Putting Grip
Do you feel like you don’t have enough control over your putts? If you’re not consistently getting the results you’re aiming for when you putt, there’s a good chance that the problem lies with your grip. You should work to optimize your grip and correct any issues.
Ideally, you should place your putter in the palm of your hand before gripping it. You’ll want to mirror this grip with your opposite hand. Placing the putter in your palm will help to keep your club from rotating as you putt, which means you’ll have far more control. You should also focus on bumping your grip with the back of your hand instead of your fingers.
Focus On Rolling The Ball
When you’re putting, you shouldn’t think about hitting the ball. Instead, you should aim to roll the ball. To make sure you’re rolling the ball, you’ll want to keep your stance open and place most of your weight on your left side. This stance will make it easier for you to roll the ball smoothly forward.
You should aim to keep the head of the putter low to the ground, even after impact. Many golfers believe that they should hit up on the ball when putting, but this is a myth. If you do hit up, it could cause the ball to hop rather than roll.
Work On Your Launch
Another important aspect you’ll want to be able to control is the distance of your putts. You may want to have your putter fitted if you haven’t already. If your putter hasn’t been fitted for you, you’ll have less control over the distance of your putts.
In addition to this, you’ll want to work on your mechanics. Experiment with how your arms hand when you hold the putter and see how that changes the distance of your putts. Try changing your knee and hip flex. Work on spine flexion. Try different stances and you’ll be able to see what works for you.
Don’t Focus On The Ball
Instead of focusing all of your attention on the ball as you putt, try to focus on the hole you’re aiming for. Staring at the ball can make it difficult for you to focus, which can lead to a bad putt. If you focus on the hole, you’ll be able to clear your mind and think about the target line.
Concentration is something that a lot of golfers struggle with. While you obviously need to pay attention to your golf game, focusing too much attention on the wrong things can cause you to make mistakes. You don’t even need to look at the ball when you’re putting. You should be focusing your attention on the spot you’re hitting the ball towards.
Mark Your Ball
If you’re having issues with your putting game, and you’re trying to identify them, you may want to try drawing a line around your golf ball. From there, you should align the line with your target and hit the ball.
If you’re putting properly, the line on the ball should remain on the target line. If you see that the line is wobbling, you’ll know that you’re hitting across the line. From there, you can take steps to correct your putt.
Try Putting With Two Balls
When you’re practicing, try taking two different balls and placing them on the toe and heel of your putter. Once you’ve done that, you can go ahead and take a swing. You can learn a lot about how the balls react.
If both of the balls travel the same distance, you’ll know that you’re putting them correctly. If you see that one of the balls is shooting off from the face, you’ll know that there is an issue with your impact. You should work on coming through the impact area while maintaining a square face.
Use Training Aids
Investing in training aids can help you to simulate the conditions of the golf course. There are many different types of training aids you can use when running putting drills, such as a mirror system or a putting accuracy trainer.
There is a wide range of putting aids on the market, and many of these products are very reasonably priced. Investing in the right kinds of training aids can help you to get your golf game up to par.
Make Adjustments Before The Stroke
Putting strokes can be fairly small. In fact, it is not unusual for a putting stroke to only be six inches. Because of this, you can’t afford to make any adjustments during the stroke. Instead, adjustments need to be made before the stroke.
When you’re able to take a full swing, you have the time needed for adjustment. However, that usually won’t be the case when you’re putting. You’ll want to make any adjustments necessary before the stroke so that you can get the results you’re aiming for.
Work On Your Speed
Many golfers struggle with the speed of their putt. If this is an issue for you, you can address this problem by running some fairly simple drills. For example, you can take three balls and start at ten feet. Drop each of these balls a few feet apart. Gradually work your way back to fifty feet.
This drill will give you a better sense of what it feels like to hit different types of putts. It can help you to cure your speed issues and tackle different kinds of putts in the correct way.
Don’t Overthink It
While it’s smart to work to correct the problems with your putting game, you won’t necessarily want to be thinking about all of these things during a game of golf. You should focus on these issues when you’re practicing. When you’re actually putting, you’ll want to clear your mind.
The best golfers think before they take a swing, but they also operate on instinct. You’ll want to practice enough that putting feels like second nature to you. If you overthink your putt, you could wind up making some very basic mistakes.
Try To Stay Loose
Are you overly stiff when you’re putting? Your movement should come from your shoulders rather than your legs, but that doesn’t mean that you should be as stiff as a wooden board. It’s a good idea to keep your muscles limber when you’re golfing. Take every opportunity to stretch your muscles.
Nerves can also contribute to stiffness. If you’re focused on shaving strokes off your putting game, your muscles might start to tense up. Try to relax and not think too much about your score as you play. If you put in extra effort and work to improve your game, you’ll naturally be able to shave off strokes and lower your score.
Make Sure You’re Properly Aligning The Face
One of the biggest mistakes that golfers make when they’re putting is failing to properly align the putter face. Remember, the face of the putter is what you’re using to aim the direction of the ball. If your face isn’t properly aligned, your ball isn’t going to travel in the right direction.
The direction that your ball will travel in is almost entirely determined by the alignment of the face. If your ball is consistently traveling in the wrong direction, you can assume that the face isn’t properly aligned. Work to adjust your alignment so that you can get the results that you’re after.
Try Clock Drills
Take twelve balls and place around the hole in two to three-foot intervals. You should have four lines of three balls. To start the drill, hit the four balls that are closest to the hole. Then move on to the next balls, and then the next. If you miss, you should start this drill over from the beginning.
Clock drills are an excellent way to improve the rhythm of your putting game. This drill can also simulate the kind of high-pressure situations that you might experience in a real golf game. Since you know that you’ll have to start the drill over if you make a mistake, you’ll want to make sure you putt perfectly when you’re on the last few balls.
Take Practice Swings Behind The Ball
It’s smart to take a few practice swings before you putt. However, you shouldn’t take those swings while you’re standing next to the ball. Instead, you should stand behind the ball so that you’ll actually be able to see the line of the putt.
You won’t get much out of your practice swings if you can’t see everything that you need to see. Always make sure you’re standing behind the ball and have a clear view of the putt line before you take any practice swings.
Pay Attention To The Green
If you’re not paying any attention to the green, your putting game is going to suffer. Understanding the green can help you to understand how you should be putting. For example, if the green seems lighter than usual, it’s a sign that it’s been cut recently. This means that there will be less friction than usual, which means you won’t want to hit the green as hard.
Take the time to examine the green so that you can see how it will impact your putting game. You should look at the length of the grass, and you should also check to see if there’s water on the green. The condition of the green can have a significant impact on your putting game, which is why you won’t want to ignore it.
Visualize Your Goal
Before you take a shot, you should try to visualize your goal. Picture yourself swinging, connecting with the ball, and successfully guiding it into the hole. Take the time to imagine yourself doing everything perfectly.
Taking a moment for yourself before your swing can help to calm nerves, and it can also help you to focus on what you need to be doing. Your legs should be still as you putt, and all of the movement should be coming from your shoulders. Stay calm, take a deep breath, and make sure you get the results that you’ve pictured.
Control Your Weight
It’s likely that the way you are distributing your weight is having an impact on your putting game. If you’re placing all of your weight on your heels, you’re going to have far less control over the direction of your ball.
When you watch other golfers play, you should pay attention to the way they distribute their weight when they’re putting. If you look at their feet, you’ll see that they are putting their weight on their toes rather than their heels. You should try to do the same thing.
Train Your Muscles With A Bungee Cord
Your golf game will see significant improvements if you’re able to develop the muscles in your shoulders and upper back. This won’t just help you to shave strokes off your putting game; it will help you with other aspects of your golf game as well.
You should try running putting drills with a bungee cord looped around your upper body. You should place the cord just above your elbows. Once the cord is in place, you should try to putt the ball. This will limit your movement greatly, which will help to strengthen your muscles.
Work On Your Tempo
Obviously, having a perfect aim is an important part of putting. However, being able to control the speed of your putt is even more important. If you roll your putt at the wrong speed, you’re going to miss, even if your aim is perfect. You’ll have more control over your speed if you are able to putt at the right tempo.
To find your right tempo, you may want to develop a phrase that you’ll repeat to yourself while you’re putting. Your phrase should start with a two-syllable word and conclude with a single syllable. For example, you could use a phrase like “putting, now.”
Work To Develop A Routine
You should never be relying on luck during your golf game. If you want to consistently shave strokes off your game, you’re going to need to take the same approach every time. You should work on developing a routine for your putts.
Having a routine can make you a more consistent golfer, and it can also help you to keep your anxiety in check. Spend a lot of time practicing so that you can hone a routine that will give you the results you’re aiming for. You may also want to watch professional golfers so that you can learn from their putting routine.
Keep Your Stroke Straight
A lot of golfers believe that a putting stroke should be arced. However, this is actually a misconception. Your stroke should be straight back and straight through. This will give you more control over your putter face during your putting stroke.
If your putting stroke is arced, the putter face is going to be open on the backswing but closed on the follow-through.
This means your putter face may not be square at impact, which means you might not be properly aiming the ball as you hit it. Even if other people have told you that your stroke should be arced, you should try experimenting with a straight stroke. You might be surprised when you see the difference that it makes.
Walk Around The Hole
Even if you’ve spent a lot of time practicing, it can be hard to judge the length of your putt when you don’t have access to any sort of training aids. An easy way to get around this is to quickly walk around the hole before you hit the ball. When you do this, you should count the number of steps you take. Make sure you count in your head; you won’t want the golfers you’re playing with to catch on to what you’re doing.
When you walk around the hole, it will be easier for you to accurately gauge the distance of the putt. This means that you’ll have a better idea of the speed you should be hitting the ball at, which means that you’ll be more likely to get the ball in the hole.
Work On Maintaining Control
Even if you play a perfect golf game, you won’t always get the results you want every time. Even excellent putts aren’t always going to go in the hole. However, if you work to develop your putting skills and maintain control, you’ll get the results you’re aiming for more often than not.
If you focus on controlling the line that you start the ball and controlling the speed of the ball, you’ll be able to shave strokes off your putting game, even if you don’t get the results that you want every time. Work to develop your skills so that you feel like you have more control over your golf game.
Work With A Coach
If you’re struggling to solve the problems with your putting game, you may want to work with a professional. A coach will be able to analyze your putting game, tell you what you’re doing wrong, and give you suggestions that will deliver results.
Even a single coaching session can have a dramatic impact on your golf game. While working with a coach can be expensive, it might be worth it for the results. Instead of spending a lot of money on new golf clubs, you should work with a coach so that you can correct the issues with your golf game.
Practice Regularly
If you’re only practicing when you’re playing through a game, you’re going to struggle to lower your scores. If you really want to see results, regular practice is essential. Putting is something that you can practice at any time. You can even buy equipment that will allow you to practice putting at home.
You should be practicing several times a week. While you don’t have to spend hours running putting drills, regular practice is essential. If you devote plenty of time to practice, you’ll be able to shave strokes off your putting game, which means you’ll get the lower scores that you’re aiming for.
It’s common for golfers to struggle with their putting game. If you’ve been trying to lower your scores, these tips will help you to change the way you putt. Focusing on putting will allow you to become a much stronger golfer. Elite players are able to succeed because they’re learned how to shave strokes off their putting game.