How do I become a good putter? Part 5

How do I become a good putter?

You will always hear from us coaches that putting training is the most important, as this is where you have the greatest potential to save strokes. As you hit the most shots with the putter, this is logical. Yes, teeing off longer is also nice (for the ego), but you won't have saved a single point on your scorecard! Many golfers are surprised at how many putts they need on an 18-hole round when they note down and analyse this value. The best players in the world need an average of 28 putts for 18 holes. The average for amateurs is 36 putts. That's 8 strokes per round! Improving your putting is relatively easy, as this area has little to do with physical ability. In contrast to long tee shots, you don't need to be particularly fit or agile when putting. When training for putting, it is important that you train with a centre of gravity. That sounds terribly boring at first, but it's not. I would like to introduce you to a few exercises that make sense and are also fun. The biggest problem most golfers have is length control when putting. By the way, length control means putting a putt so close to the hole that the second putt is painless and doesn't become a calf-biter because it is still over a metre away. Length control does not mean holing every putt directly! Surprisingly, this is exactly what most golfers want. This attitude is quite nice, but perhaps a little overconfident. First try to put the ball close to the hole. That would take us one step further.

With the next 5 exercises, 30 minutes will fly by. You shouldn't spend more time on the green per training session. Now it's up to you to save between five and ten strokes per round just by putting better!

Part 5 - Read the green

Look for a slope on the putting green. Reading a green is not easy. Start by picking up a few balls, squat down and roll one ball after the other (all with your hand) from the squatting position towards the hole. Observe which path the ball takes by trying out different speeds. Find another break and try to read the green. Place a ball at the highest point where the ball should roll past. If you putt now, you can check very well how well you have read the break.