Overcautious approach
Golfers may decide to study their putt with great care. They may stand behind their putt to read the green and then perhaps walk the line of the putt. That's a solid approach, but if it also comes with more than one practice swing it could lead to trouble. The golfer may feel like he has to be careful in his stroke so he stops short on the follow through. This will almost always leave the putt short.
Stroking the ball too high
Golfers get anxious on the green when putting for a par or a bogey, and when they stand over the putt and imagine it going in the hole they want to see it actually happen. As a result, while the golfer is standing over the putt, he will raise up out of his stance and hit the ball higher than the midpoint of the ball and top it. That will almost send the ball off at an incorrect speed and make the putt a failure.
Pulling the putt
This is a common problem among new golfers who have just received a lesson on following through all of your shots. The lesson may get exaggerated and when the golfer is on the green, too much of a follow through will lead to pulling the putt to the left. This will result in a missed putt and it can be a stubborn problem to overcome.
About The Author
Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.
