These two short putting articles by John Duncan have been published elsewhere online where they have received rave reviews. They are reproduced here for you and hopefully they will help your putting.

AN EFFECTIVE PRE-PUTT ROUTINE

Putting is far more important than most golfers realize. If you are needing 3 or 4 putts on most holes while the others only need 1 or 2, then there is 18 to 36 strokes right there. Ouch. Hopefully this routine may be the answer for you.

I am sure you are aware that most people have a routine they follow before an action that requires precision and judgment. A perfect example of this is watching people serve in the game of tennis, you see all sorts of amazing differences in the pre action routine, many of which are so amusing you have difficulty keeping a straight face.

 

People tend to have pre action routines in golf too. Many have a slightly different one for the drive, the iron shot, the chip and of course the putt. In this particular article, I want to discuss a pre putt routine that has proven to be very effective in heightening your awareness of speed, distance and slope.

 I am sure you are aware that if, for example, the ground slopes from right to left, if you hit harder that slope will have less effect in deviating the ball from straight ahead. Conversely, if you hit a slower shot the ball will be deflected much more. The other major variable that has to factored into the equation is whether the green is running faster or slower than average.

 If you ask a golfer why he or she has a particular pre putt routine, they usually can't give a good answer. What's more, their pre shot putting routine may be very hit and miss and lead to inconsistency in the desired outcome.

 I would like to make a suggestion for a pre putt routine that will help lift your putting performance. This is a proven method that will deliver more consistency than you have probably experienced up until now.

 First, walk from the ball to the hole. Now walk from the hole to your ball, counting your steps. Walk past your ball and starting a new count, walk the same distance again away from the ball but in line with the ball and the hole. (Hopefully there is no bunker just there).

 Turn and look at the ball and the hole. If you can, it is best to squat or crouch as you see the golfer doing at the top of this page. You will note that the ball is halfway to the hole. You can get a better perspective of slope to right or to left between the ball and the hole from that distance as well. By the time you walk back to the ball, and this is the FOURTH time you have covered that distance, your mind will then get an acute sense of that distance.

 Now when you stand over the ball and look again, the putt will appear easy. Your sense of distance and slope, and therefore how hard you need to hit, is greatly enhanced.

 Bring your focus back to the ball and make your stroke. As always, remember the golden rule: the ball must travel PAST the hole. A ball that stops rolling short of the hole will NEVER drop in.

 

 

HOW TO OVERCOME THE PUTTING YIPS

 

Quite often the outcome of a game hinges on a single putt. Even if it is a short putt of only three feet, it can be the most important and challenging part of the game.

A lot of golfers spend hours and hours on the driving range, but only a minimal amount of time practicing their putting skills. So when the pressure is on, they tense up and miss what should have been an easy putt.

Let's get back to the "big putt", the one that will decide the outcome of the game. When you are putting under that sort of pressure, the mental aspect becomes very important, in fact far more important than the actual mechanics of the stroke. It has been proven by research that when you tense up under pressure, doubt, apprehension and even fear will make you tense up even more, and this perpetuates a vicious spiral. As the adrenalin flows, we tense up even more and the smooth flowing mechanics you have practiced go out the door.

Now, as I mentioned above, a putt that stops short will NEVER drop in the hole. Remembering this, a frequent outcome is that you lose your sense of 'feel' and wildly overshoot the hole. You then have just as long a putt coming back. What's worse, when we do a nervous putt, we typically look up too soon to see if we will make the putt, and this pulls the stroke off line.

Another common problem is we DECELERATE through the stroke. This is fatal, even the gentlest and shortest of putts must always be by ACCELERATION, for this gives us good feel which leads to good control.

A build up of tension reduces our ability to visualize the situation. We cannot read the green right or estimate the slope and we cannot get a sense of the speed. This of course causes frustration, and the more frustrated we are the more we tense up as well. This is known as 'having the yips'.

How do we overcome this situation? Here are some proven methods you can use that will help you roll that ball and make some good putts.

When you are under pressure, just look away and relax, perhaps think of the nice drink you will enjoy at the club house after the game; the new car you want to buy; the nice dinner you will have with that special date tonight; the overseas trip you have planned - in other words, think of anything pleasurable which is unrelated to golf. This will calm the yips, and enhance your sense of touch and feel.

When you feel calm, carry out the pre-putt routine discussed in the first article, then think of the basics of a successful putt:

1.    The stroke must be a pendulum with your shoulders and arms while the wrists remain stiff.

2.    Don't move your head during the swing. Remain staring at the spot where the ball was for a few seconds after it has gone.

3.    The swing should be relaxed and smooth with gentle acceleration for a short putt and with more acceleration for a longer putt.

4.    The ball should be hit on the upswing of the putter. Place the ball in front of the inside of your left shoe (for a right hander) to ensure this.

I hope these two articles will help your putting.

    Hello, my name is John Duncan.
Those two articles of mine are a way of introducing myself.

They are just a taste of what I have in store for you. To really take your golf game to the next level and start shooting in the 80's or better, just click this link

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