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Putting is essential to lowering your golf score since it makes up a large portion of your total shots.
Many golfers hit great shots off the tee and the fairway, only to struggle to convert the final shots on the green.
Missing putts is the quickest way to receive a bad number on your scorecard. Fortunately, in this guide, we share four secrets to vastly improve your putting skills so that you can take your game to the next level.
1. Get Your Putter Fitted
Improving your skills starts before you even step foot onto the golf course. Properly fitted putts improve your consistency and accuracy on the greens. A putter that is too short or too long causes alignment problems, making it harder to make a precise shot. A putter with the correct lie angle, weight, and length for your swing and body? That’s consistency!
Get your putter fitted through an experienced club fitter. They’ll take measurements, evaluate your swing, and provide personal putter recommendations. However, if you decide to go the DIY route, you’ll need to know how to measure putter length so that you can choose one that fits your height.
2. Practice Distance Control
Distance control is crucial. You’ll need to practice sinking putts from different lengths to get a feel for how hard to hit the ball for it to go in the hole. When you master various distances, you can move onto downhill and uphill putts. Since they require a different feel, it’s important to get a sense of them.
3. Use Training Aids
Training aids are an effective tool to fine-tune your putting skills and develop good habits on the green. For example, a putting alignment mirror or innovative laser putting aid helps to align the putter with your target, which improves your accuracy.
4. Improve Your Stroke Mechanics
Stroke mechanics is the motion and technique used to swing the club. Proper stroke mechanics allow you to achieve repeatable and consistent strokes, leading to better distance control and accurate putts. Your backswing should be slow and low, and the follow-through should be a seamless extension of the stroke following the line of the putt.
One great way to improve your backswing and follow-through? Mirror practice. Stand in front of a mirror and watch your stroke mechanics. Use the mirror to monitor your alignment and ensure the putter face is square to the target line during the stroke. Look for inconsistencies or flaws in the stroke and make adjustments along the way.
If you have inconsistencies with your putting results, consider hiring a putting coach. According to Tour Pro Collin Morikawa, he attributes getting a putting coach to helping him improve his mechanics, which helped to eliminate his inconsistent play on the greens.
Wrapping It Up
Golf can sometimes be frustrating, especially when the ball misses the cup by a hair. By implementing these tips, you’ll gain confidence to sink putts on the green and lower your scores. If you want to play in competitive golf tournaments, read up on the putting rules, so you don’t receive any penalties or disqualifications.
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