How To Putt For Dough – Some Prime Putting Tips

If you want to carry a low handicap, you need to be able to putt. You can hit a long straight drive and follow it with a great approach shot, but unless you can finish the hole with a good putt, a double or triple bogey will be on your card.

That is why the old saying of drive for show and putt for dough is so true. Of course the drive and the approach shot is very important. If you can’t get on the green, no matter how good you putt won’t matter.

One of the most frustrating parts of playing golf is putting and in particular seeing a putt stop just inches short of the hole and missing a tap in. This is known in golf language as getting the yips.

On the other side of the putting frustration is driving a putt way past the hole so that there is not much chance of making the return putt. This is where the score and the handicap starts to soar.

The only way to become a good and consistent putter, is to be able to read the green and develop a feel for your putting stroke. Getting the feel for your stroke can be aquired from practice. When you practice always stroke the ball with the intention of putting it past the hole. By doing this you won’t be leaving so many putts short. If the ball doesn’t reach the hole it can’t go in. Always aim for the back of the cup.

Another factor in keeping the putting strokes to the minimum requires the ability to read the greens. This also takes practice and making several conditions work in your favor.

Reading the green can require attention to several factors. The contour of the green. How soon ago was the grass cut. Is the green dried out or spongy. All these things contribute to the way your putt will roll.

Another key can be the time of day. If you are playing early in the day, normally your putt will roll more slowly, so that you might need to stroke the ball a little more firmly. In the afternoon the greens tend to dry out and the ball will roll faster.

This is why it is always smart to use the practice green before your match. This will give you a better read of the greens before the strokes begin to count.

In the end it all comes down to practice and using your head. Good putting does not just involve measuring the distance to the hole and stroking away. By considering the other factors that we have mentioned and putting them into practice you will have your share of one and two putt greens.