Putting is arguably the most important part of the game and the majority of amateur golfers simply make too many mistakes on the greens.
Golf is an incredibly difficult game to master, if not impossible.
However, it is fair to argue that most amateur golfers simply make the game more difficult than it really is.
- Read also: The best bunker tip for mid-high handicappers which will shave shots off their scores overnight
Which would you rather eliminate from your golf game?
With the help of the whole multitude of golf tips readily available, amateurs can certainly improve their games.
However, sometimes it’s important to identify the issues that are causing you problems and then understand why they are happening.
* Antony Martin is a former professional golfer who competed on the mini-tours in America. He got down to a plus four handicap before turning pro and represented his country at Schoolboy level in 2002 and 2003.
Three major mistakes amateurs regularly make when putting
Here are the three biggest mistakes that I noticed amateur golfers make out on the golf course when putting…
Gripping the club too tightly
The main reason why amateur golfers struggle with their putting is that they are far too tense when standing over the ball.
They grip the club too tightly and lose all feel in their hands. This is particularly damaging when trying to roll your ball close from long range.
No backswing or acceleration consistency
When I watch amateurs putt, the majority of them change the speed and length of their stroke all the time.
They either take the putter too far back and decelerate into the ball or their backswing is too short, leading to a stabby, sharp motion through impact.
Find a stroke that suits you – long and slow or short and quick. However, the key is to maintain the pace of your stroke throughout the entirety of your motion.
Ball position
The sheer amount of amateurs I see who have the ball either too far back or forward in their stance genuinely astounds me.
It’s one of the most simple things to get right, yet amateurs struggle with it either through a lack of knowledge and understanding or pure laziness.
Your ball should be ever-so-slightly forward of center, just under your lead eye. To check this, simply step in to your address position and drop a ball from your lead eye. If it lands on your ball, perfect. If not, some adjustments will need to be made.
Best putting drills for amateurs to implement into their practice
There are two key parts of putting that amateurs have to get right.
Firstly, holing out inside of five feet is crucial, and secondly, lag-putting from outside of 30 feet is vital to scoring well.
So, to help with your putting from four feet and in, place four balls in a circle around the hole with a slight slope on the green.
By doing this, you will face four completely different putts – left to right, right to left, downhill and uphill. This will keep you on your toes.
Who makes your Mount Rushmore of active golfers?
Any massive names missing out?
Go around the hole 10 times, so 40 putts in total and see how many you can make. You will begin to gain a better feel for pace vs line.
If you attempt this every time you practice, the aim is clearly to hole more than you did previously.
To help improve your lag-putting, lay an alignment stick, the flagstick or even one of your golf clubs around 18-24 inches directly behind the hole (perpendicular to the line of the putt).
The aim of the game is to improve your judgement of pace from long range.
If you leave your putt short of the hole or hit the alignment stick behind the hole, you get 0 points.
If your ball finishes inside the space between the hole and the stick, you get one point and you get two points for holing out.
Hit 50 putts and see how many points you get, with the aim being that you try to improve your score every single time you take to the practice putting green.
By identifying the three common weaknesses listed above and then undertaking the two drills suggested, it’s hard to imagine you not improving your putting.
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