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Home Dave's Tips Dave's Putting Tips
Dave's Putting Tips
Putting is all about the “feel” of the disc flying to the target with the proper speed, height, line and disc angle. All these components are important, and when done properly, they become integrated into one “feel”. The quality of the putts you practice is far more important than the number. Only quality putts count. Those are the ones you want to practice and reinforce. Forget the bad putts. Putting just to hit a certain number of putts, or for a set period of time, is useless without quality. The following tips can help you establish the "feel" of a quality putt.
- Set aside 10 to 15 minutes for putting warm-up before every round of golf you play. This will enable you connect with the "feel" of your putt and boost your confidence.
- Practice a variety of putts including straddle putts, left to right, right to left, uphill, downhill and straight-away shots.
- Consider getting five or more putters to use just for practice. They should all be of the same model and weight. Repetition helps to reinforce the "feel" of a quality putt, plus you can practice many more putts with five discs than you can using only one.
- Practice quality putts. These are the putts you want to practice and reinforce. Forget the bad putts. Putting just to hit a certain number of putts, or for a set period of time, can be harmful without quality. You may be reinforcing bad habits. Just because a putt goes in, doesn't make it a good one.
- Focus on a single chain link, not the entire target. Focusing on a single link makes the target "appear" larger. This way, if you miss hitting your link by a little, your putt should still go in. It gives you a perception of a larger margin of error and can increase your confidence.
- Create a pre-putt routine by saying the same words to yourself before every putt or by completing a specific string of actions each time you putt. When you make your pre-putt routine a habit, it can help to lift the mental pressure you may feel when it comes time to sink that "big putt".
- Wrap up your practice session before a round by sinking five or six quality 10-25 foot "must get" putts instead of trying to make a few 30 - 50 foot "wanna have" putts. Making a string of shorter quality putts allows you to finish practice on a confident high point.
