How Much Practice Time Do You Spend Putting?

Hundreds of golf books and articles have been written entirely about putting. The variety of

information that can be found on this simple little shot involves different putting styles,

strategies, types of putters, philosophies, and individual techniques. There are even pieces of

information that include scientific theories and research tests about putting.

Is Putting Really That Important To Study?

Beginner golfers, amateurs, and even some players at the professional level all tend to

overlook just how integral putting is to the game of golf. I know it sounds strange that so many

golfers do not consider their putting skills to be paramount to every other type of golf shot, but

you have to understand that many people have a fascination with sending the ball

skyrocketing through the air from the tee and images of professional golfers sending the ball

through great distances with the swing of ultimate grace, not the "boring" putt shot.

The truth is that putting is the culmination of every shot you made on each hole. Each shot

you take leads up to that one defining moment when you must make the ball in the hole.

Think about it, you already got your tee shot straight and flying as far as you can. You've

taken the approach shot(s) without sending the ball into the rough or other disaster hazards,

and now it is on the green waiting to shine as it sinks smoothly into the hole without a glitch.

The Importance Of Sharpening Up Your Putting Skills

When it comes to scoring, putting is the most important part of golf. This final shot takes the

perfect amount of speed, confidence, coordination, and precision. You need to adjust your

body and swing type so that just enough strength is used to tap the ball, while holding back

the excitement you feel to be making the last shot.

And above all, what if you miss? That in itself takes great character to not "blow your top", so

to speak, out of sheer frustration.

You should take the putt shot as serious as you do with every other shot, regardless of the

short distance it needs to travel. Consider a long drive that you just hit from the tee which

traveled 200 to 300 yards. This giant shot counts the same as a putt: 1 stroke.

The scorecard doesn't care what type of shot you have to make. So it goes without saying

that if you are going to put so much practice into your golf game, especially on the driving

range, it is equally important to devote practice and skill to your putting shots.

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Hit 'em straight

JJ

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How to Read the Green When Playing Golf

The ability to read the green is essential to improving your game. If you have a great putting game, you stand a very good chance of winning.

Becoming a master putter requires physics, art, and the ability to read and predict the balls speed and path over a certain area. Not only that, you have to develop precise control and aim, without giving up the ability to know where your ball is going.

You can stand and gaze out over the newly plowed fields of green all day, but that wont help you learn to read it. The farther away you stand, and how tall you are, can all lead to reading errors. Depending on the altitude of your eyes, you can misjudge texture, wetness, contour, and density

You can forgo this problem by simply sitting on your haunches and taking a good look. Squint if you have to. You can put your club on the ground, facing the hole, and peer down the length of the shaft. This will give you an even better look. You should look for any lumps, curves, hills or dales that you might not have noticed from a standing position. Calculate how many ups and downs there are between you and the hole. Because even a drop of dew can alter the balls speed, try to get a feel for how wet the grass is. Put your hand on it and actually feel it!

If the golf course's landscaper has mowed the grass in two different directions, then the grass is double cut and can change the travel distance of your ball by 12 inches. If landscaper has also rolled or compacted the grass, this can also effect the roll by 10 inches.

The cutting of the grass isn't the only factor to look at. You also have to be aware of the amount and direction of curve. The amount of force you put behind a ball should be directly effected by whether you're uphill or downhill, or how much to the right or left the green breaks. Obviously you can't really measure all of this without the appropriate tools, but learning the ins and outs will come in handy.

Practice makes the game grow fonder! Take some time out to practice on both the practice green and actual green. If you are playing with a partner, watch how he putts. Use what you see as a tool to help improve your shot.

Make sure that you aren't holding up someone's game, but keep in mind that most courses have slow days, so go on one of those days to practice. Take a pen and pad of paper with you, write things down, take note of everything you observe about each hole.

If you read the green, and play with your new found knowledge, you would probably play your best game ever. Wouldn't that just make your day?

Hit Them Straight,

JJ

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David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of "The Simple Golf Swing" which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today.