Tag: Stephen Covey

Three Tips for Better Putting in Golf

In this article, we are going to explore three tips for improving your putting on the golf course.  You might be surprised to know what you can learn about golf from the game of pool, your feet, and Stephen Covey.

We all know the expression, “drive for show, putt for dough” and we all know it because it’s universally applicable.  You cannot score well in golf if you do not know how to putt.

Many of you have mastered the long drive, but are still inoperable when it comes to getting the ball in the whole.  How is it possible that we can hit a ball consistently 270 yards down the fairway with the new Taylor Made Drivers but have trouble with a 5 foot putt?  Well, this can be answered simply:  the game of golf.

Golf is a fickle beast, rewarding you and chastising you within a matter of moments.  How many times have you lost a hole to your playing partners because you had a three putt or missed a 4 foot birdie putt?  To become a par golfer, you must know how to putt well.

With these three tips, you can improve your putting which will improve your golf scores.

In tip #1, we are going to compare putting in golf to the game of pool.  You have all seen on TV how Camillo Villegas goes all the way down on the ground with his Spiderman technique to analyze putts.  Do you know why he does this?

Yes, because it works.  It allows you to view a putt like it was shot in a game of 8 ball.  If I placed the queue ball on a pool table four feet from the pocket, would you be able to hit the queue ball into the pocket?  Of course you would.

Why can you not do the same thing with a golf ball?  The holes, though different sizes, are proportionately sized.  Simply think of each 8 foot putt and under like hitting a cue ball into the corner pocket.

For tip #2, we will tell you to think with your feet and not with your head.  When you are trying to read a break on the golf green, your feet often see better than your eyes.  Walk the basic line of your put and let your feet feel the break.  You will notice that your feet often tell you much more than your eyes.

Tip #3 involves a step from the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” authored by Stephen Covey.  The habit that we are interested in is habit #2:  Begin With the End In Mind.  In this case, your end is to make the putt.  How often do you envision your putt going into the hole?  Ever?  You need to see your putt going in before you’ve struck the golf ball.

In summary, you need to think of short putts like you would an easy pool shot, think with your feet, and envision your ball going into the hole every time.  Follow these three pointers and you will become a better putter!