Golf Tips - Tips To Improve Your Putting

If you are seriously considering lowering your scores,should relax your muscles enabling an enhanced
then you must take your putting seriously, as roughlysensation of feel and touch, both vital for reliable
half the strokes you play in a round of golf are likely toconsistent putting.
be on the putting green. However good you are atTips for the swing
driving, pitching and chipping, if your putting is not up toYour grip should not be too tight, and your arms should
standard, you will never make the next level. My Dadbe relaxed. Gently and smoothly in a one piece action,
told me the famous quote when I was probably aboutsweep the putter backwards. It is important to keep
12 or 13, 'Drive for show putt for dough', this says it all!the triangle formed between your arms and the line
That is why it is quite incredible that putting is not oftenjoining your shoulders consistent through the whole
concentrated on.shot and the shape should not change. The move
Tips for setup:backwards should be like a pendulum movement with
First of all I'd just like to say that there is no oneyour arms, while your wrists remain stiff. A good tip for
correct putting grip/posture/stroke, there are widemaking sure that this is correct is by starting the action
variations, so if your technique is different, don't worry,by dropping your left shoulder; this will get the pendulum
some of the top golfers have very different puttingmotion started.
actions e.g. Bernhard Langer, Ben Crenshaw and TomKeeping the triangle mentioned before in tact, in a
Watson all have very different techniques. These arependulum motion, accelerate the putter smoothly
basic tips that can be applied to most techniques tothrough the ball; the ball should be hit on the up.
help improve your game.Throughout this whole period, keep your eyes fixed on
An ideal putting stroke should strike the ball on the up,the ball to avoid fluffing the putt and keep the eyes
to do this the ball should be placed opposite the insidefixed on that spot after impact.
of the left heal (for a right hander), this results in the ballIt is vital after impact that the left wrist remains firm
being hit on the up and top spin is generated.and does not break; the follow-through should go inline
In relation to setup, the hands should be either inline withwith the direction you were aiming and should be the
the ball or ahead of the ball, if the hands are behind thesame length as the backswing.
ball, then a clean consistent strike of the ball is not likely,Key points
and the common result is the ball popping up in the air.Try and relax before playing the stroke, this will help
Tension on the green is one the most destructiveenhance your feel and touch and help avoid the yips
things that can happen to your putting, especially withdue to excess tension
the short putts, this is known as getting the 'yips', this isThe stroke should be a pendulum action swinging with
caused by moving during the stroke. This causes youyour shoulders and arms while the wrists remain stiff.
to 'fluff' your shot and miss your putt. To avoid thisDon't move your head during the swing.
happening, concentrate on the spot where the ball wasSwing in a relaxed smooth fashion with a smooth and
after impact rather than following the ball. This ensuresconstant rhythm.
that you do not move your head during impact and willKeep the wrists firm throughout the stroke.
help give you the clean smooth impact you require.Play the ball from underneath the eyes.
A simple technique to reduce the tension in the bodyHave the ball in the front of the stance to ensure that
and the stroke is simply to let your arms dangle in frontthe ball is hit on the up.
of you before you putt and gently shake them. This