No matter how well you can drive or chip, the key to your score often lies right on the green. The exercise of putting a little ball in a little hole is one of the most frustrating known to men and it can be the deal breaker when it comes to getting a great score. If you’re ready to putt like a pro, there are some secrets that you need to know. These will make an enormous difference in the way that you put, and you’ll find that your score improves naturally as you begin implementing them.
The first step is to learn how to gauge distance properly. We don’t really stop to think about how far we are from the hole. We look and decide, too far or not close enough. However, there is a lot to be said to learning how to tell exactly how many feet you are from the hole. You’ll be able to fine tune your swing to reach a set amount of distance after you try these exercises.
First, let’s work on gauging distance. Off the course, set up a little test on your lawn or even in your living room. Measure off a variety of different distances and mark them with chalk, or with pieces of paper inside. Now, remove the measuring tape and try to gauge exactly how far away each one is from you. Work until you can correctly guess each measurement. Try changing it up, and moving things around until your accuracy increases. If you have natural terrain changes in your yard, take advantage of those as well.
Now, let’s work on reaching a set distance. Set up your measurements again and grab your putter and some practice balls. Work on reach the exact end of each measurement until you start to feel in your arms how much strength you need to reach a set distance. There will be some factors here that may change, such as green density and slope, but this will help you start to “feel” distance as well as see it.
After you are successfully reaching the right distance, it’s time to head out to the course and try a few more exercises. You’ll be taking advantage of a practice green in this situation, but if your course doesn’t have one, you can easily take your exercise on to the regular greens. Chip your way up to the green and then try to see how far away you think you are. Grab a measuring tape and check your distance. If you’re wrong, you’ll need to go back and work on seeing distance again. If you’re right, try to putt that correct distance, relying on your muscle memory. If you don’t make it, grab that measuring tape again to see where you went wrong.
By consistently “seeing” and “feeling” distance, you’ll be able to work up to handling terrain changes on the green as well. You may even find that your long game improves as a result of these exercises.
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