Having a good putt can make all the difference in enjoying a great game of golf, so taking steps to improve your putting skills can be very worthwhile. A good putting technique allows you to get your ball into the hole in the least amount of strokes.
To improve putting, you should take the time to learn how to read the golf green. Get into the habit of looking at the slopes on t
he green, the length of the grass and the wind direction. By taking all of this into consideration you can decide how much force you need to apply to your shot.
If you play at different golf courses then the condition of the green will really affect your putting ability. Even the type of grass can produce different results, from super fast shots to really slow ones.
One surefire way to improve putting is to get a putter that you really like. It should have the right length, shape and weight. Visit your local golf shop and try out a bunch of different putters. You will know instantly when you have the right putter in your hand. It will just feel right. If at all possible see if there is a way to try it out on the green first.
Putting incorporates two thirds of the game of golf. So improving your putting is a necessity if you want to become a good golfer. One easy way to achieve this is by practicing every day. Start close to the hole and when you consistently get the ball in, move back a foot or two. Do this routine every day and you will improve your putting skills quickly.
If your putting has declined only very recently, go get your eyes checked! Maybe it is time for a new pair of glasses. Not being able to judge the correct distance to the hole will have a serious impact on your golf game.
Putting requires a lot of mental concentration, so practicing games like bowling or shooting pool can be very helpful. Learn how to keep your focus while being relaxed enough to make a good shot.
You can improve putting by learning to have a nice smooth putting action. By being smoother you have much better control of both your putter and the ball. To putt efficiently you need to have a tight control over your movements. Once you can consistently putt smoothly your game will develop in leaps and bounds.
Check out this cool video of Aaron Baddley (fellow aussie!) using an aim line at Augusta. Its a great representation of how the pro’s practice breaking putts:
One thing that many golfers do is to look up too soon after hitting the ball. By not following through with their shot, the striking motion becomes shortened. Thus, the ball does not reach the intended distance to the hole. If you get into the habit of following through with your golf club, your putt will be executed correctly.
It doesn’t have to take a huge change to improve your putting skills. By making some simple changes you can easily develop a great putt. This in turn will help you enjoy a fantastic game of golf. Of course your golf score will drop too!
Learning how to play golf takes patience, and developing the proper putting grip is vital to your overall game play. Everyone loves to just go out and play golf. The secret though, is making the time to learn the basic techniques and terminology of golf. This includes learning how to hold your golf club correctly – if you dont get it right from the start, your game will not improve and you will become more and more frustrated.
Once you have perfected the proper putting grip you will notice the shots starting to drop off your round score. You will find that you hit the ball much more smoothly than ever before. You will follow through with your stroke without thinking about it anymore. Everything will start to come to you more naturally.
Both hitting the ball and holding your club correctly is key. The proper putting grip helps you automatically strike the ball better. As with anything there are variations on the basic grips. You may find adapting a certain grip works better for you. My theory is – if it doesnt feel good and natural, try something different.
Before you attempt to hold the golf club you need to decide which hand will be your lead hand. The lead hand is the hand you will use on top. By having this hand placed correctly you are able to have more control of the club’s face. Your lead hand effectively guides where the club will hit the ball during your swing.
Check out this video to help you out a bit:
Jim Farrel explains a few different variations – its worth a look.
The trailing hand is simply the bottom hand. Many golfers use their stronger hand in the trailing position. So this would be your right hand if you write with your right hand. The trailing hand is the hand that provides power to your swing. Always get your lead hand into the proper position first, then place your trailing hand on the club.
The proper putting grip is one that has you putting the grip into the palm of yourleft hand. (Depending on whether you are left or right handed). Then you need to take your other hand and wrap it around the grip. Place your right hand under your left and overlap your fingers. Ideally you will end up with palms which are opposite to each other and nicely locked together. Remember though – there is no such thing as a proper putting grip for you! Its whatever works and feels comfortable.
The only way to perfect this is to practice your grip. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes each day to learn how to get the proper putting grip. At first it will undoubtedly feel strange, but you will quickly be adjusted to this new feeling.
Along with developing the proper putting grip, you need to recognize how much pressure to exert. Again this takes trial and error. A good concept to keep in mind, is to apply as much pressure as when squeezing a tube of toothpaste. When you squeeze too hard, the toothpaste comes flying out. This is too much pressure. You want just enough to coax the toothpaste out evenly. The actual handle of the grip doesn’t want to be moving around within your grip either.
All of this might sound complicated, but with time and effort it will be second nature. Don’t try and jump ahead and learn different grips and techniques. Master the basics before moving forwards. This way you will improve your proper putting grip and your overall level of game play.
Fix your golf swing with a bucket of balls and a five iron
If you are frustrated with your swing there are some great drills which will help you fix your golf swing. Actually, all you really need is a bucket of golf balls and a five iron. You dont need anything fancy – its just a matter of getting out thereon the range and putting in what I like to call a bit of ‘hard yakka’.
As mentioned, the best place to practice will be out at the driving range. It may also be a good idea to take along a friend that can watch your new swing and offer advice. if they know their stuff, even better.
Before you actually hit any of the golf balls, look at your stance. When using the five iron your feet should be shoulder width apart. If you have a longer length club, then increase this distance. Turn your knees inward very slightly and point your right foot straight ahead of you. You want your left foot to be pointing towards your left. All of these movements are small and even a minor adjustment can be very beneficial in fixing your golf swing.
Take a look at where your elbows are. Ideally you want your right elbow pointing at your right hip and the left the same. Try keeping your elbows and arms as close together as you can, this will help you achieve the correct posture.
Next you want to take a look at your grip. The correct grip will go a long way in helping you fix your golf swing. Grip your club and make sure that the line between your thumb and index finger points towards your right eye.
Now we want to concentrate on the actual swing. Envision a line extending from your shoulders to the golf ball. When performing the backswing your hands want to move parallel to this line or plane. Use your hands to begin your backswing, followed by your arms and shoulders. To develop a powerful hit begin the downswing by rotating your hips toward the ball.
Obviously, guys, this is kinda hard for me to explain in writing – I always find visual aids help. Check out the video below – this will help you along with what i have said above:
This guys mantra is pretty cool ‘inside, out and over’. If you have a look, he is descibing how to best fix that dreaded slice.
Okay, so grab that bucket of golf balls and start practicing your golf swing! With each ball, concentrate on just one of the pointers first. When you are feeling comfortable with each one, try putting all the motions together with each hit. It is going to feel strange and possibly awkward at first. The more you repeat this drill the more comfortable you will become. At some point it will become second nature to you. You will have learnt how to fix your golf swing and before you know it your score will improve as well.
Anyone can learn to become a better golfer. Taking measures to fix your golf swing is extremely helpful and well worth the effort. Along with this basic golf drills there are several other golf tip tools that you can use for your golf game. Among these would be golf videos and DVD’s, which are becoming extremely popular. Some golfers prefer these methods to taking expensive golf lessons. Whatever your preference finding a method that allows you to fix your golf swing is key. Your enjoyment of the game will increase as well.
As an amatuer golfer, one of the most valuable things you can do is take the time to improve your putting skills. If you have a great drive, that’s wonderful, but without the ability to get the ball into the hole your golf score will never improve. When I first started playing, that was one of the mistakes I made – I spent all my time on the driving range, and little time on the putting green.
There are some simple drills which you can perform and practise the next time you are out on the golf green. These include:
1. Pick a distance and try to send your ball to this point and no further.
2. When hitting the ball, concentrate on your stroke and aim for the center of the ball – this sounds simple right, but you would be suprised.
3. Put down markers at different intervals and attempt to hit each marker accurately.
4. Practice your long putt by hitting across the width of the green.
5. Practice your short putts, especially those around the 4-6ft mark.
These are the ones that you should be concentrating on. The cool thing is, that practisingg your putting does not cost anything – and it may be more beneficial thatn hitting thousands of balls on the driving range!
You will improve your putting ability by simply building confidence in yourself. Try to visualize the ball going into the hole before you actually attempt to hit it. Mental toughness is the key in golf – but mental toughness comes from repetition, ie doing things over and over again.
Please be aware though, that when you first putting alot of time in on the putting green – your body will not be used to it. Spend a few minutes doing the right thing, and stretch out the body. Possibly a few gentle squats and some hamstring exercises. If you loosen up the ‘hammies’ your back wont start to ache.
Whilst practicing if your back starts to ache or cramp. Take your golf club and use the shaft to massage your back. Make sure to take frequent breaks and stretch your muscles. Maintaining your body in good physical shape should be very important to you during the golf season. I dont know if you have noticed, but most of the top golfers coming through in this day and age all have great physiques – gone are the days of the ‘fatties’ being the best in the world. Personally, I would advise you to get in shape to optimise your chances of being a decent golfer. Of course thats easier said than done!
You should also consider your golf equipment when trying to improve your putting ability. The correct length of shaft can play an important role in how accurate your putts are. Most golf pro shops will evaluate your equipment for free. Purchasing a new putter may be all that is required to effectively improve your putting. I bet most amateurs starting out do not know this – its VERY important.
Off the golf green a simple way to improve putting is by watching some golfing videos. How to videos are becoming really popular and are a great golf training tool. By studying a good video, you can pick up some invaluable tips on using the correct grip. Knowing how much pressure to apply is another key element in improving your putting skills, I will give you that tip for free!!
Even going to a local golf tournament can be a great learning tool. See other golfers in action, critique them and see what pointers you can pick up. Go to the club house after the game and ask for some advice, most golfers are only too happy to share their expertise.
To sum it all up, you can improve your putting by practicing all of the above techniques. Many can be done at home in your basement over the winter months.
As is the case for any sportsman, an avid golfer can improve his performance by leaps and bounds when he incorporates regular golf putting drills into his practice routine. Recommended drills fall into three basic categories stroke consistency, distance control and confidence and to obtain the optimal level of overall performance, experts recommend regularly going through at least one drill of each type on a regular basis to have the most accurate putt possible.
1. Golf Putting Drills for Stroke Consistency
Stroke consistency can be greatly improved via regular drills. Try the following technique known as the string drill to help you with this. Tie a string between two small posts that are several inches in height. Pick a spot on the green that is more or less level. Insert the first post into the green right behind the hole. Choose a spot approximately 10-12 feet away from the hole and insert the second post. The string should be positioned around 2 inches above the ground itself. Place your ball underneath the string and position your putter directly behind the ball. Now practice putting this way, allowing the string to guide you in keeping your putter level and low to the ground at all times. Eventually, try lengthening the string and putting from further distances.
2. Golf Putting Drills for Distance Control
Golf putting drills for distance control are relatively simple and easy to perform. All you really need is a marker that you can stick into the ground and practice putting toward. (A pair of tees or posts positioned a foot or two apart gate-style would be perfect.) Try to see how close you can get the ball to your chosen marker without actually going past it. Try it from a variety of distances as well and on different parts of the green. Before you know it, youll instinctively know exactly how to putt the ball for the desired effect under any circumstances a given course can throw at you.
Psychologically speaking, confidence is gained by the successful repetition of a desired action and any golfer can tell you that confidence is key when it comes to playing a great round. Begin building confidence by making shorter putts that are easy and gradually increase your distance from the hole to increase difficulty. You may also want to try variations on this drill that actually reduce the size of the target instead. Does the hole seem like an impossibly small target to you? Try aiming for an even smaller target such as a dime! Imagine how much less intimidating the hole will seem once youve learned to hit a target thats merely dime-sized!
Making time in your schedule for golf putting drills that cover all three of these bases will rapidly improve your game in ways you wont believe. Youll be cooler under pressure, better able to focus on your game, and significantly more precise. Give it a try for yourself!
Expert Golf Swing Help for Golfers Most Common Problems
While practice is without a doubt the best way to improve not only your golf swing, but your overall technique, you can provide yourself with some valuable golf swing help by using everyday household items as tools to correct bad habits and replace them with good ones. Give the following tips a try for yourself and watch your golf swing begin to improve immediately.
Golf Swing Help to Improve a Slice
One of the most widespread problems among golfing enthusiasts is the issue of the slice. A golfer with a slice has a bad habit of improperly positioning his hands and shoulders during the backswing, causing consistent problems with accuracy, not to mention a lot of frustration. Like many golf swing problems, this is an issue of improper positioning and posture. However, golf swing help for a slice can easily be obtained by using a few simple household objects to not only make the golfer aware of what hes doing to cause the slice in the first place, but help him develop a proper technique that will be more effective in the future.
Try swinging a broom at home while holding it using the same grip you use on your clubs while youre out on the green. Pay attention to where the bristles and handle are pointing at various points in your swing to judge your technique. The brooms bristles should be pointing at the target line during the backswing, while the handle should be pointed at it during the downswing. If you practice with your broom until this is the case, you should eventually be able get rid of your slice.
Golf Swing Help to Make Better Contact with the Ball
Many golfers also find that they need golf swing help to improve their ability to make solid contact with the ball in a way that offers more reliable, consistent results than they are currently enjoying. Good golf swing help in regards to this issue starts with realizing that its again a matter of proper form. Analyze the positioning of your hands as you swing. If you are like many golfers who have trouble making good, consistent ball contact, then you are likely to see that your right hand has a tendency to flip and then straighten out at impact as your left wrist bends. You actually want to achieve the opposite of this.
Try taking a ruler and attaching it to the outer side of your left wrist with a strong, sturdy rubber band. Now go out and practice a few swings with the ruler in place for some highly effective golf swing help. This will help to keep your left wrist straight as it should be, allowing your right wrist to bend instead. Youll be amazed at how much easier it now is to make proper contact with the ball now.
Good, effective golf swing help is always about learning how to identify your bad habits and swap them for good ones instead. Its about overall body awareness and proper understanding of what makes established, proper techniques effective at producing the results you want. As always, practice makes perfect. Once youve got your swing going in the right direction, be sure to keep working on it until you get it exactly right.
