Hole more short putts video

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Barnet Puttick has some tips to help you hole more short putts under pressure.

Hole more short putts video

A common problem on short, pressurised putts is that players tend to look at the hole before they have even struck the ball.

This opens up the shoulders and means that putts will not be hit on the intended line. This can be prevented by using two different methods.

The first is a practice drill that involves you hitting putts while looking at the hole. This helps to keep your head, shoulders and upper body still throughout the stroke.

You can practise it anywhere and doing so repeatedly will tighten up your stroke on all lengths of putt.

Stay down

It may sound strange, but you can do the opposite of the above to achieve the same results. Hit putts and focus on keeping your head down at the point of impact until your putter goes past your front foot.

This will again help you stay down and committed to the stroke in order to improve consistency. The beauty of this drill is that it can also be implemented out on the course, even during a competitive round. Maintaining this routine will ensure that you don’t lift your head and shoulders and pull putts.

Be square at impact

This is a classic stroke-building exercise that gets the putter moving up and down the line and gives golfers a good idea of where the putter face needs to be at impact.

Create a gate either side of the ball just more than a putter’s width apart. Do this whenever you are practising your short putts and you should find the middle off the putter face more often for added consistency.

Steady your hands

This might look like something you do when up against the fringe, but it is also a useful drill for the practice green.

Use a wedge to practise your putting by hovering the club and hitting the ball half way up with the leading edge.

Keep your hands steady to produce a smooth roll. Practise this for ten minutes, then return to your putter and you’ll find that it is easier to keep your hands steady when faced with short-range putts.

Change your grip

Routine is vital in any part of the game, but sticking to exactly the same way of putting can result in a loss of focus and consistency.

If you find you are struggling with your short-range putting and can’t work out why, then try changing things a little.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your grip in order to keep things fresh and improve your focus. This could be going to a right hand-over-left grip, or adopting the claw.

Whatever you go for make sure it’s a grip that is completely different from your standard. This will give you something different to think about, which will help maintain your focus.