| The easiest way to build confidence in your abilities is | | | | if you were playing a regular round of golf. Keep |
| to putt well. Every time you save a stroke, your | | | | putting until your ball is in the cup. |
| confidence increases. Putting does take skill and | | | | Go back to the position you started from two feet |
| practice, however it is the simplest part of the game | | | | below the hole. Stand at that position and face the |
| to master. Anyone can be a great putter, it just | | | | hole. Imagine you are looking at a clock and the hole |
| takes practice. Unfortunately, most players don't | | | | is the center that the minute and hour arms pivot. |
| practice this part of their game. Here is a simple drill | | | | This is your one o'clock starting position. From here |
| to help you improve your putting. | | | | move to the two o'clock position, the position |
| For this practice drill you will need your putter and | | | | directly to your left, and step back a foot. |
| one ball. This is a simple, fast and fun exercise. In | | | | Your second position is at two o'clock and two feet |
| fact this drill is so fast I do this almost every time I | | | | from the hole. From here putt your ball into the hole. |
| go to a course, whether I'm playing or practicing. Go | | | | Again, read the green, perform your pre-putt routine |
| to a golf course or practice facility that has a | | | | and be aggressive with your putt. Keep proceeding |
| practice green. On your first few trips try to find a | | | | until you have circled the clock 1-1/2 times. So your |
| hole location that is relatively flat. As your skills | | | | third position will be at three o'clock and three feet |
| increase, you can look for more challenging hole | | | | from the hole. Your fourth position will be at four |
| positions. Since you will be hogging a hole, you might | | | | o'clock and four feet from the hole. |
| need to vary the times you go until you find a time | | | | The drill is over when you are at six o'clock and |
| that is not crowded. | | | | eighteen feet from the hole. At completion you have |
| Start by placing your ball one foot from the hole and | | | | putted from eighteen different positions. Each |
| at the low side of the hole, so that your first putt is | | | | position becoming progressively more difficult. You |
| uphill. Putt the ball into the hole from this spot. Aim | | | | have just simulated an eighteen hole round of putts. |
| for the back of the cup. I want you to be | | | | To track your progress keep track of how many |
| aggressive, no fear of missing. This is not one of | | | | putts you make. The goal is to take 36 or less |
| those miss and start all over drills. | | | | strokes per practice drill. Remember, putt out every |
| If you have a pre-putt routine, and I highly | | | | ball, even from two inches. Count every stroke. Be |
| recommend you do, use it on each and every shot. | | | | honest with yourself. Keep this up and you will see |
| This is a good opportunity to refine and define your | | | | improvement in your putting. This will translate into |
| pre-putt routine. Take time to read the green. If you | | | | lower scores. Which translates into higher confidence. |
| miss a putt, finish putting from wherever your ball | | | | Which again translates into even lower scores. |
| comes to rest. In other words putt out every ball as | | | | |