5 Ways to Make More Putts

Putting is the one area of your game that when you apply some simple techniques, will have the greatest impact on your all round score. If you really want to cut strokes off your handicap, then take these 5 putting tips into consideration, they will improve your putting, help you take less three putts and sink more one putts.

It is not some illusive magic to make you putt better, you just need to really do two things properly:- make consistent, solid contact on the center of the putter head and establish a pre-shot routine. Ok, to make solid contact, reduce the number of moving parts in the putting stroke. You should take exactly the same amount of time on each putt, regardless of the length, from the moment you start to read the line of the putt and take your stance, to the moment the golf ball leaves the putter to when you finish your swing.

Grip pressure and posture is very important in developing a consistent and perfect putting stroke. Hold the putter in your hands firmly without any tension, because tension short circuits that rocking shoulder movement, and just let your shoulders move back and forth. Try not to grip the putter to tightly, or too softly and tighten up on the backswing.

Your posture should be comfortable with a stance that is stable, enabling you to place your eye-line over the ball, make sure the ball isn't too far away from you though, if it is, you will be forced to open and close the putter face during the stroke. Which causes a pulling of the putt.

Not every golfer is the same and in a perfect world we would all set up dead square to the target line of a putt, with shoulders, hips and feet. Some players set up with an open stance with their hips and feet, where as others set up with a closed stance. Remember, however, that these and all players still have to maintain their shoulders position dead square to the target line, open and you'll pull the putt, closed and you'll push the putt.

It's often a natural urge on longer putts to exert more energy into the stroke, but by doing that you're adding more moving parts, which means less distance control and consistency. Try to keep your arms working together as a single unit on those longer putts. Keeping your elbow tucked in to your side will encourage a low swing approach and movement along the target line.

To practice this, tuck a glove or towel under your 'target side' arm and practice your stroke, keep that glove there throughout the swing, if it drops to the ground, you are separating the elbow from your side, obviously. Keep the arms in place and the putter head will move low and along the intended target line, keeping the glove or towel in place. This will encourage a natural release of the putter head. Perhaps also try to hold your finish until the golfball stops rolling.

A very helpful and focusing practice technique to improve your accuracy on those medium to long breaking putts, you've probably heard of this one before, is to set up a sort of gate in front of the hole with two tees. The idea on this is to focus your attention on a more precise smaller target than the standard hole size.

Set the tees up to form a gate of about 4 inches wide in front of the cup, so that only the most accurately struck putt with perfect read, speed and roll will go in, without touching the tees. If you hit the putt too hard or too low the ball will bounce off one of the tees.

Once you are out on the golf course and following your practiced routine and read of the putt, the cup will appear to be huge to you, your confidence will make light work of any medium length breaking putt.

A common cause of a breakdown in a putting stroke is flipping the right hand at the golfball at impact. By doing this you are more prone to miss putts to the left (pulling) or if you are left handed will encourage a miss long and to the right. It's that feeling of wrist cocking that is more experienced in the normal full golf swing using irons and woods, not good in the putting stroke.

Here's a simple but effective tip to minimize that flipping action, just place a pen or pencil into the top of your glove, so that it goes up the back of your left or lead hand preventing excess wrist movement during the swing. You then move your hands and arms in unison, as a single unit so that the pencil point doesn't stick into the back of your wrist, you'll notice the difference in that feeling right away.

You have no doubt watched professionals playing in tournaments, particularly on the final day, how some of them seem to succumb to nervous pressure on a short putt and then miss terribly. You can almost feel their anguish as they through away a one shot victory, only to suffer defeat.

Never underestimate the power of the mind, especially when putting. What's the rule..."golf is 90 % mental 10% skill". Tiger Woods is a great example of confidence and consistency over short to medium range putts, having a positive mindset definitely improves your putting ability. The last thought that fills your mind before a putt should be a positive one.

If you stand over a putt and think you have got no chance of sinking it, guess what, you probably won't. When a negative thought pops into your mind, just step away from the ball for a moment and just take a deep breath and laugh at yourself. A positive outlook is just as important as proper putting mechanics.

Like I said, anyone can putt, but to putt better more consistently, you need to follow some basic principles to make more putts and reduce your score on the golf course.