Tag Archives: putting

Falling Victim To The Putting Illusion?

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As Bobby said in the video the importance of proper putting cannot be ignored if you want to shoot low scores. I’ll admit putting isn’t the most fun thing to talk about, but let’s face it consistently dropping 6 footers will take a serious bite out of your score (plus it will drive your golf buddies nuts).

Golf is a mental game and putting relies even more heavily on your mental state and confidence level. That’s why overcoming the illusion Bobby talked about is so important if you want to become a consistent putter.

Focusing on keeping the putter face perpendicular to the target line through your whole stroke will drive you nuts, force you to do some funny things, and cause you to lose confidence on the green.

To eliminate many of those problems all you need to do is understand that the putter face will open and close naturally through your putter stroke.

Some guys intuitively understand this or simply go with what work, and through chance and luck they figure it out. Others guys (like me) need to understand this phenomenon conceptually before our brains will let us trust the putter stroke.

This video and the inclined plane tool should prove to you that taking the putter straight back on the inclined plane results in the putter face opening up. The same rules of geometry that caused it to open up will cause it to be square when it hits the ball. So as long as you take the putter straight back you don’t need to worry about getting or keeping the putter face square at impact.

All it really comes down to is accepting that this is fact of golf. It will allow you to focus on much more important things while putting, such as your speed, follow-through, break, and the speed of the greens that day.

You probably don’t have an inclined plane at home so use a score card like Bobby showed in the video if you need to prove it to yourself. The score card will also help you ensure that you are bringing the putter straight back.

For more putting tips and tricks from Bobby Schaeffer check out his Hot Touch DVD Package. This stuff will shave some serous strokes off your score.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP

Start Sinking More 6 Foot Putts With This Simple Putting Drill

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We all know that confidence plays a large role in your golf game, and it’s on the putting green more than anywhere else that confidence can make or break your score.

Here’s a quick example that I’m sure is familiar to you. You’ve made it onto the green in regulation and you are sitting with a simple 4 foot putt for birdie. If your confidence is high this putt is no problem. However you three putted the last hole.

Making this 4 footer for birdie will erase that last bogie, but your confidence is low and you miss the putt.

There is a high degree of skill involved in putting, but we all know that confidence is a key ingredient in eliminating three putts and sinking those 6 footers. That’s why you need a putting drill that not only sharpens your fine motor skills, but also your confidence.

I use this drill all the time. It is the best putting drill I’ve come across over the years. The secret is that after sinking the 2 foot putt, the 3 foot putt, and the 4 foot putt you confidence is so high that you will often sink the 5 and 6 foot putts no problem.

This is huge positive reinforcement and will build your confidence, knowing that you have a real chance at sinking 6 footers and that anything inside 4 feet will be a “gimme.”

Like Darrell says in the video you should practice this from many angles. Using this drill on breaking putts will sharpen the way you read how greens break and teach you how the distance and speed of the ball affects the amount of correction you need.

I can go on and on about how great this drill is but I’ll spare you. Just go out and try it (be careful it’s also quite addictive).

If you want to start sinking more putts tomorrow click here.

For Better Golf,
Doc O’Leary
Head Golf Nut, OHP Golf