Overview of Golf Putting Drills
OBJECTIVE: Golf putting drills are to not only practice the proper putting fundamentals but to develop your sense of feel and touch. Your ultimate goal is to master distance, accuracy, consistency and tempo. Like any sport in order to improve it takes practice.Putting is the most vital aspect within the game of golf and no professional has ever won a major tournament putting poorly. There is nothing more frustrating than playing a decent round of golf only to end the day with a lousy score because of the number of missed putts.
Make the most of your time on the practice green or at home and develop a routine with a purpose. Each golf putting drill you practice will be designed to help you with various aspects of your game. Although it is been said many times that putting accounts for most of the strokes in a game, average golfers will usually spend far less time practicing on their putting.
Once you begin a putting practice routine you will soon develop confidence in your putting stroke which is absolutely critical. Learning to trust your putting stroke comes with hours of practice and patients. Being able to visualize a successful putt and eliminating negative thoughts will have you mastering what some consider a game within a game.
TYPES OF DRILLS: Each of the golf putting drills explained here will focus on different aspects of improving your putting.
Cage, Tunnel and Gate Drill: These three golf putting drills are designed to help you control your distance and improve your accuracy.
Stroke Length Drill: This golf putting drill is for controlling your distance. The amount of speed applied to the ball and therefore distance is determined by varying the length of your stroke.
Wrist Control Drill: The main benefit of this golf putting drill is to help you keep your wrists from turning during your putting stoke. If the wrists flex during your stoke it is very difficult to hit the ball square.
The Two Ball Drill: The purpose of this drill is to determine it your striking the ball with a square putter head.
Eyes Closed Drill: Also for practicing distance but in addition this golf putting drill will help you develop the ability to visualize a putt in your mind and significantly improve your self confidence.
FUNDAMENTALS: Before starting your golf putting drills it is good to double check your putting fundamentals to be sure they are sound. Although there is a lot to learn in order to master the putter, there are certain basics that each golfer should follow. Below are the fifteen most important putting basics that I believe every golfer should incorporate into their game. If you would like more detail on putting fundamentals visit Golf-How-To-Putt where you will find in depth lessons on all aspects of putting.
Golf Putting Fundamentals
(2) Always aim to roll the ball past the hole. Never up, never in is a common saying but is very true.
(3)Take practice strokes to decide on how long a stroke you are going to take for distance. Then commit to this and do not question yourself when you take your real putt. Second guessing yourself during your putt is a sure fire means of dubbing your putt.
(4) Think positively and relax and take the pressure off yourself. Remember, the world will not come to and end if you miss this putt.(5) Lighten your grip. Tension and tight muscles reduce your ability to feel the stroke and get in the zone. You are less inclined to pull or push your putt.
(6) Keep your head still. Do not look up to see if the ball went in and keep completely focused on the back of the ball. Never look up until well after you have stuck the ball and completely finished your follow through.
(7) Use masking tape on the toe and heel of your putter club head to mark the sweet spot. Then take practice putts and avoid hitting the tape, this will help improve hitting the ball square and straight.
(8) Keep your body still by locking your legs. This will help prevent you from swaying.
(9) Use a small blade of grass a few feet in front of the ball to mark your target line. Then align the club head to your target line and also check that your shoulders, feet and hips are parallel to that line.
(10) The left hand leads and guides the stroke while the right hand controls the position of the club head, keeping it square at impact. Keep your wrists from flexing, they need to be flat at impact.
(11) The back swing distance should be about half of the follow through distance. For example, if you take the putter back twelve inches, your follow through distance after impact should about two feet.
(12) Control the speed with your stroke distance. Do not try to hit a 30 foot putt by taking the club back a few inches and then swinging hard. Control how hard you want to hit the ball based on the length of your stoke. Concentrate on keeping the speed of your stroke consistent, whether your making a short or a long putt.
(13) The position of the ball in your stance should be consistent. The ball should be placed at the very moment of the upswing of your putter and this will result in giving you a true roll.
(14) The putting stroke should flow at an even pace with a sense of rhythm. The swing should not have a jerky burst of speed or a sudden long pause. Putter club head should move along the target line.
(15) Feet, knees, hips, shoulders and eyes are all parallel to the target line. Eyes need to be directly over the ball.
(16) Visualize the putt in your head. Trusting yourself and being able to see the putt in your mind will go a long way in developing a consistent rhythm.
(17) Spend time practicing with your eyes closed. After a period of time you will be amazed at how your feel for striking the ball and tempo will improve.
PRACTICE: On the average roughly one third of the strokes in a round of golf are with your putter. In addition, the average golfer has thirteen other clubs in his bag. It would stand to reason then that we should allocate one third of our practice time to the putter and the remaining two thirds to the rest of the clubs. Therefore, if you want to lower your handicap then improving your putting game is essential. With a positive attitude and practicing these fifteen tips along with these golf putting drills your putting and score will significantly improve.
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