How To Practice Your Putting
By Patrick Cameron
Putting can be intimidating. You can walk on the green with a chance at birdie and, in a few minutes, walk off with a bogey, or worse. That's why it's always good to get to the course early and spend time on the practice green. You can learn a lot about the course in just 15 minutes.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Put all your balls on the surface of the green. The number of people practicing and how crowded the surface is will determine how many balls you should bring. Don't bring more than five because it gets too confusing. The key is to remain focused on all your putts, so three is generally a good number.
Move from short to long. Start with some 3-footers. After making a few 3-footers, move out. Don't start with long putts. Get down the basic stroke first, then increase the level of difficulty. Successively move to 7 feet, then 12, then 18 and more.
Get a feel for the green speed. The practice green is cut no differently than the course greens. Think about the speed of your ball and the power you need to put behind each stroke. Judge the speed during practice; once you're on the course, you'll be able to approach each putt with confidence.
Practice from different angles. On the course, you most likely won't have every putt on a flat surface. Nor will you be putting uphill every time. Find ways to vary the angles. This will pay off in dealing with multiple surfaces on the course.
Tips & Warnings
Set up a pretend bull's-eye around the hole on your longer putts. This will help take the intimidation factor out of lag putting and make the goal more approachable.
About The Author
Patrick Cameron is a freelance writer with 10 years of diverse experience in consumer goods branding, promotions and retail communications. He works out of his home in Denver, Colo. He received his Bachelor of Arts in mass communication from the University of Minnesota.
