‘Putt’ Articles at Golf Product Review by Experienced Golf Balls

Playing Your 1st Golf Round – The Putt

Article by Mike D’Auria

The Putt is the stroke or shot in golf once your ball has landed on the green. This shot calls for rolling the ball toward the flagstick or cup if the flag has already been removed and is normally made using the putter. The putter is the club which has the least loft and a relatively flat face. If you have followed parts one thru eight in Playing Your First Golf Round then you have progressed from making your first tee time reservation, arriving at the golf course, the first tee jitters, hitting your clubs and progressing down the fairway and finally reaching the green. Congratulations!

There are two key ingredients to making a good putt, Speed and Direction. Because the green usually slopes in different directions it is key to learn how to read the slope of the green. The five main different types of putts normally encountered are Uphill, Downhill, Left To Right, Right To Left and Straight. For an uphill putt the ball must be struck harder in order to make it up the incline slope. The opposite holds true for a downhill putt because the ball will have a tendency to accelerate down the slope depending on the severity of the decline of that slope. A left to right putt will do exactly what it says – go from left to right. This means that you will aim your ball toward a target or line left of the cup and the opposite holds true for a right to left putt. The amount of distance left or right again depends on the severity of the slope of the green. There are also double breaking putts and even triple, which are usually associated with longer putts on very undulating greens, but that is a discussion for another time. When first starting to putt I would advise to aim directly at the cup or flagstick and experiment to get a feel for both speed and direction. These two ingredients of putting are critical to ultimately scoring well at golf. More than half of the total strokes of a persons score are usually made on the putting green.

I would strongly recommend that the beginning golfer spend some time on the practice green before teeing off and checking out the golf videos available on Putting if you want to accelerate your learning curve. It is not as easy as it looks to groove a really good putting stroke without some effort and PRACTICE, which is Key to all aspects of the game!

Good Luck with your game and Happy Golfing To All!

About the Author

My name is Mike D’Auria and I grew up in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn. I started playing golf 30 years ago when I sustained a severe hamstring injury while playing softball. I’ve been playing ever since and have never looked back. For more valuable info on golf visit http://guideforbeginninggolfers.com

How to Putt Better In Golf Games

Article by Golfdiscountsale2

A lot of attention is given to driving; however, a game can be won or lost in a putt. Just as a good putt may make up for a less than perfect drive a bad putt can destroy any benefit that comes from a great one. The ability to make a good putt is essential. It makes a great deal of sense to put in the time to learn how to putt better in golf, for the future dividends that can be recouped.Select the right tool for the job. With so many good putters to choose from it can seem confusing and difficult to choose correctly. A good place to start would be to read putter reviews online and see what other people are having success or failure with. Many golf shops have an area where you can test out a putter before you buy it as well. Putting is a key part of the game, and your putter needs to become one of your best friends.Keep in mind that the movement of the putter is the direct result of the rotation of shoulders and neck. Hand and arms should be relaxed during the stroke. Excess movement may create a problem with accuracy. For a golfer to discover how to putt better in golf they first have to learn control. Putting is a skill of precision. The head, neck and lower body should remain motionless in the stroke.When you come to address the ball, make sure the putter’s head is behind the ball but above the green. Make sure the club head is not resting on the green, but hovering slightly above it. The last thing you want to do is strike the ground, as this will have disastrous results. Keep your legs spread a little wide and your feet straight and firm on the ground. Get your balance in check and get comfortable, and more importantly, confident.Such actions are largely the domain of the subconscious mind. It is a combination of will and skill. A normal progression when learning new skills applies equally to golf. The individual starts by being consciously terrible at golf, and then they become consciously good at it. The magic happens when finally they start to become unconsciously good at it, when all the movements come together. At this point they find themselves able to perform them without consciously thinking about what they are doing. To reach this stage requires lots of practice.There are many ways to do this. (TaylorMade Rescue Hybrid 2009) Try using several balls and hitting them a different distance. Use this drill to educate yourself about putting power versus distance. Remember accuracy is most important. A balance must be achieved. Practice, practice, and aim to learn a new drill every week.Creating a routine helps players perfect their putt. Choose a line and commit to it. This helps align the brain with the eyes, and consequently create a straighter putt. A common mistake is moving prematurely after the putt. Keep still until the putter halts and track the ball visually.If you’re busy however, it may seem like there’s not enough time in the day to fit all of these suggestions in. A great way to multiply the effect of whatever practice you do get is to use golf putting aids. These help you focus on the exact things needed to strengthen key areas of your game. It could be that your swing is more to the outside or inside, in which case there are laser guides or putting gates that help to make sure the swing is flawless and a flat face presented to the ball. (Mizuno MX-950 Irons) Those who just need practice may find putting mats and golf ball retrievers are an ideal combination to fit more of the practice that matters into a one or two hour session.Familiarize yourself with the way you must hold the grip for putting. Proper grip, as always, is a key component of your golf game in putting just as it is in the long game. Ensure you get back to basics by mastering stance, grip, and the motion of the swing. In putting the motion of the swing is best described like a pendulum. You must ensure there is no motion in the wrist, and instead focus on that smooth pendulum swing. Developing your muscle memory of that straight motion will help with consistency. Make sure that your hands move together with your arms, all in a single well-coordinated unit. The less varied your game is the better.Reduce your head movements to the minimum, and keep it motionless throughout the stroke so that you are concentrating on one thing, getting the ball in the hole. Don’t look up during the follow through but instead listen for the sound of the ball dropping. Many errors can creep in when players take their eyes off the swing too early.As with all things golf, practice always helps. Get in as much as you can. Train on the green until you can get the ball consistently to the hole. When it comes to any puts you make that are within eighteen feet, always aim to get them within eighteen inches of the hole. To master the art of reading the green, consider one side of the hole then the other. Things often look very different when you view them from behind your target.Practice makes perfect and the more practice the better. Try to implement these golf putting tips in your game, keep practicing, and keep playing. Success is just around the corner.

About the Author