Putt for Dough this Best Ball Season by Gordon Dmytriw

If you've spent any time around the game of golf you've heard the saying, "drive for show, putt for dough" and with the Texas Scramble/Best Ball charity tournaments in full swing, the teams that get the bragging rights (and the best prizes) are the one with the best putters. But why is it that the average Best Ball Foursome will miss fewer fairways in a round than five-foot putts? One answer is that there is something inherently more satisfying to hitting a 250-yard drive that draining a 3-foot putt. Another reason is that they don't remember a few basic tips about putting for dough.

A little practice is better than nothing. Unlike many sports/past times, golf is a difficult game to pick up after a lay off. Any beneficial rhythm or muscle memory that is developed over a few rounds is quickly lost so practice is the key. But for the average golfer, its not about practice, it's about the game. The compromise then, is to get to the course a little early and spend 20 minutes on the practice green. You will stroke more putts in 20 minutes on the practice green then you will while playing 10 rounds of golf (unless of course, you are a really, really bad putter). The other thing a few minutes on the practice green does it help you get your head in the game and get a sense of the speed of the putts. Rushing up to the first tee with your shoelaces untied is no way to start off a relaxing day on the course. You owe it to yourself and your teammates to put yourself in the best possible frame of mind to succeed.

Practice with purpose. Most golfers can use more time than they have practicing multiple aspects of their putting stroke. With so many things to practice and only 20 minutes to do it in, what should the focus be? In a word, speed. Work on ensuring that the speeds of your putts are such that the ball ends up a foot or so past the hole every time. More putts are missed because of tentative strokes than misread breaks. A firm putt will minimize the effects of breaks, the impact of patchy or bumpy greens and even help with the yips (to the extent anything helps with the yips), as a firm putt instills confidence. Remember, you miss 100% of the putts that don't get to the hole so drop 5 balls on the green, start from 3 feet away and focus on getting the ball past the hole. Gradually work your way out to progressively longer distances but remember, you'll save most of your strokes by not missing putts inside 10 feet rather than draining the occasional 30 footer, so keep the focus on the shorter putts.

Work on your rhythm. All sports motion involves accelerating through the point of contact (except maybe the curling delivery but then curling is different on a whole lot of levels). Can you imagine a hockey player winding up for a big slap shot and then slowing his forward motion just as the blade meets the puck? How about serving a tennis ball using a faster back swing than fore swing? So why is it the so many golfers combine a long putting backstroke and a soft downswing with so little follow through? Work on your stroke by minimizing your back swing. Experiment a little. Take a six-inch backstroke and vary the speed of your acceleration to find out how far you can make the putt travel. You'll discover that your back swing can be the same length for both a 3 footer and a 20 footer - all you do if vary the speed of your down stroke. This exercise will help you concentrate on accelerating through the putt and extending your follow through towards the hole.

Be consistent in the face of distractions. Because there are as many combinations of putting stances and grips as there are golfers, we won't pretend to offer advice on technique. However, whatever you do and however you do it, be consistent each and every time. Because so much of the game is about rhythm, try to keep the same routine and avoid the temptation to change your approach and stance for those short "almost gimmee" putts. This is particularly important during those long 6 hour rounds when it's your turn to buy yet another round of refreshments from the too-darn-friendly, beer cart girl. Maintaining your routine will help maintain your focus. Better focus means a better putting stroke.

Want to improve your putting so you can be the one to drain the critical six footer that your teammates all missed on the 18 th green to win the tournament and take home the grand prize and give your spouse a reason to let you play in the next best ball? Spend some time on the practice green before your round, practice putting past the hole, practice accelerating through the putt and keep your routine while on the course.

About the Author:   Gordon Dmytriw is the Sales and Marketing Manager for NWC, a preferred pricing association for business travellers and independant business people. He has been golfing for as long as he can remember and was on the winning team of the NWC Winnipeg golf tournament in July. He is a notoriously bad putter but can be reached at http://www.nwcta.com  Source of this article: www.goarticles.com