Confident Putting

By Joan King, Peak Performance Strategist

Putting is a game within a game. It is the part of the game where the ball never leaves the ground. It is the only sport where the ball finishes below ground.

Putting is an art form that requires you to create in your mind the path the ball will travel. Then you stroke the ball along that imaginary line with an artful stroke of gentleness or firmness depending on the conditions.

To putt successfully it is imperative that you trust your inner creativeness. Trust is more important than training when it comes to putting.

The better you become as a golfer, the more you will realize the important part that putting plays in scoring. Up to 40-50% of your score can be played out on the greens. Putting is the great equalizer in the game of golf.

Golfers miss putts because of the following reasons:

*Lack of trust: thinking too much about how to swing the putter

*Lack of decision: becoming tentative and indecisive

*Lack of focus: getting emotionally involved in the fear of missing

As with all mental training, it is important to train yourself in mental techniques to keep these negative thoughts from starting. Golfers know what to do to putt well, but when they get emotionally involved they get distracted. Here are some strategies to practice for overcoming the mental pressure:

1.  Take deep, deep breaths through the diaphragm. Hold the breath as long as you can and then exhale fully. This will slow down the controlling left brain thinking activity and begin to relax all the muscles in the body.

2.  Visualize a safe place where you feel calm. When you begin to feel the pressure, imagine yourself rocking in a hammock, relaxing in a hot tub, at the beach, or other place in your imagination where you feel calm and relaxed.

3.  Treat all putts the same. Keep your focus on each putt instead of putting pressure on yourself to play for a score. Use the identical pre-shot routine for a one-foot putt as you do for a 30-foot putt.

4.  Picture the hole in your imagination.  Since you are not looking at the hole when you putt, it is imperative that you have a good visual of where the hole is, and the line the ball will take to get there.

5.  Enjoy putting. Be enthusiastic about wanting to putt. Know that you are going to enjoy putting a good roll on the ball, no matter what the results.

Chances are you were expecting to two-putt and make par. When you have an expectation of how you “should” putt, it takes you out of the present moment.  When your expectation is unfulfilled, frustration and disappointment set in.

Three-putts are common in golf. Every golfer has three-putted at some time. What differentiates pros from amateurs is that the pros three-putt less frequently. They concentrate on getting their first putt close to the hole to minimize the chances of a three-putt. On long putts, distance is 95% more important than reading the line. 

Seven Strategies for Recovering from a Three-Putt

1.    Accept your errors and move on.  Accept the result, learn from the experience, and put your attention on creating the next tee shot.

2.    Breathe deeply to relax and focus. Take one or more deep abdominal breaths to calm your mind and body.

3.    Be positive. Change all negative thoughts to decisive confident thoughts. Tell yourself that you are a great putter, no matter what the outcome.

4.    Feel, don’t think your swing. When you take your practice swing, feel the smooth rhythm of your driver and body moving in sync instead of thinking about how to swing.

5.    Be decisive. Commit 100% to the tee ball by giving it your full intention. This is what it means to “hit one shot at a time” and to “stay in the moment.”

6.    Play target golf. Pick a target to aim at and make it as specific as you can imagine, instead of just aiming at the middle of the fairway.