Lowering your score means you need to drain more putts. Become a better putter. Learn how to be a boss when it comes to putts from 6 feet and closer.
Confidence comes from practice.
Practicing with purpose means you will drain more putts.
Half of all putts are hit from inside 6 feet.
I practice all year indoors on putting mats. In the warmer months, I’d prefer to practice at the course.
I’ve learned that, squirming over 3 and 6 foot putts just doesn’t get it.
My focus on putts is on the back of the ball. My last thought is counting out “One thousand One.”
That is my tempo on all putts. I count to myself.
I relax, make the putt and on shorter putts I listen for the ball to go in the hole.
You need to have the confidence. Tell yourself you are going to make the putt. Then roll the ball to the hole.
Face and Pace
Putts that are short… don’t go in. Putts that are offline…don’t go in. It’s about Face and Pace.
The pace of your putt is more important than putter face angle at impact.
Having said that, if your face angle is way off you can even miss short putts.
Pros get the ball to the hole and their putter face angle at impact is square consistently at + or – one half of a degree.
What does one half of a degree mean in terms of making a putt of different lengths?
Check out this example image. It’s a Visio aim board that I purchased.
The markings on the board above indicate how close to square you putter face must be at impact to make that length putt.
The max variance from square would be: From 5 feet – less than two degrees, 10 feet – less than one degree and from 15 feet – around one half of a degree.
When your putter face is square at impact, you are going to make longer putts.
Confidence
I’ve begun to convince myself over time that I’m going to make putts.
I don’t always make the putt.
My point is that if you are worried you are going to miss, you are done before you start.
So the mental side of practice and playing is extremely important. Be confident and drain more putts.
Warm weather practice
I practice 3 foot and 6 foot putts at the beginning and end of my putting practice session.
Using 3 lined golf balls, I putt to different holes at the beginning of practice without a gate.
I also try to make any putt outside of one putter length when I practice lag putting.
Here is what I end each session with.
I purchased a PuttOut compact putting mirror and set that up with a putting gate that is 50 mm or 1.97 inches wide. See the image below.
I must make 10 three foot putts in a row or start over. Then I move to six footers. From six feet, I must make 5 in a row or start over.
If you aren’t square, you whack the gate or gates and the ball wobbles.
Also, the putting mirror is great for your eyeline setup.
It has black dots on it that give you backstroke reference measurements.
The ball is one putter length from the hole for 3 foot putts. For 6 foot putts the ball would be 2 putter lengths from hole.
Note: The gate is from The Perfect Putter. Otherwise, it’s just the mirror, two tees and a lined golf ball. I take several putts to make sure I’m lined up. I don’t put the gate in until I’m making putts. Then I line up the gate.
Cold weather practice
In the cold months, I use Blast Motion Golf to measure my putting metrics.
I also have two putting mats for indoor use.
One is 13 feet long and allows me to practice putts up to 10 feet long. It’s a premium mat made by Wellputt. I putt in both directions. One side has hash marks in one foot increments.
The second mat is made by PuttOUT and is called the Tournament Inspired Studio. This one has markings in one foot increments also. The maximum length putt would be from six feet.
Conclusions
You just can’t make putts wishing the ball in the hole.
The goal for me has been putting improvement.
I was leaving the ball short all the time and the ball was frequently offline.
How do I know that? I measure many things and have a record.
I’ve seen dramatic improvement.
My stats for 2022 from 3 feet are 100 percent made.
My yearly stats from 3 to 6 feet are 75 percent made. Even better, in the last five rounds my 3 to 6 foot stats are 81 percent made.
My putting stats on the course come from using a ShotScope V3 GPS and performance tracking watch.
If you don’t measure, how will you know what you are doing well…or… not doing well?
I know the putter face is going to be square at impact from practicing and measuring.
Putting with enough pace has made a huge difference in my stats.
If I do miss, I end up with a makeable putt past the hole.
Practice draining more putts confidently.