Putting Practice--Do You Really need It?

Putting practice:Is it needed?
By MARK GROVE
DATE: 2004-10-12--This is a Repost of an old article by yours truly 

A lot of you who golf regularly are probably saying I already get enough putting in my regular game and don't need any extra work on my short game.

Wrong guys and gals. Think about the pros and where the level of their game is at because of the extra practice. Chances are their putting is practiced more than their long game and they the putting greens at a course to practice.

I always say to practice your putting 10 to 15

minutes 3 to 4 times a week to work on the problem areas of your putting such as follow through technique, putting from different angles and distances as well.
                                                                                                                                                               By pulling extra putting duty you'll wonder why you didn't just do a little extra while your buddies are at the Golf club bar hammering down a few. Now you may think that doing just 10 to 20 minutes won't do anything to help your putts, but if you think you need an hour or more chances are you won't keep it up and quit practicing your short game.

As well,you only get so much out of practice and concentrating on your problem areas for a short period 3 times a week will go a long way to shaving strokes off your game. Just do a little more Putting Duty.

Mark

Mark Harman On Putting Basics For More Long Term Success On The Green-- For Both Novice and Pro Golfers

By Mark Grove

Well,this interview with Mark Harman from the US Golf Teachers Federation is up now,right here.It's short and talks about the foundation of Putting and how to get started,and what most golfers including pros do that short circuit their Putting success in the long run.

This little primer on short putting will help you know what to focus on and get started on the right path to Putting Success.Mark Harman has been in the game for a long time and helps both pros and amateurs from every level.

So take a few minutes to learn and take massive action on getting a better Putting game going guys.

MG: When you teach golfers both novice or even pros Putting, do you start them off with tapins and short putts or what they are having problems with?

MH: For novices, I think it's best to start with short putts such as tap-ins, so they can have some immediate success at the game. Also, since it's such a short stroke, they can learn what it's like to have some control over the club, which is much more difficult with a longer club for a novice. With pros, there are some checkpoints you want to examine, such as how well they aim the putter and how well they read the greens. Believe it or not, many pros do not do those two things as well as you might expect.

MG: I find a lot of golfers whern Putting think they need perfect mechanics and don't focus on the Putt it's self. What do you recommend to golfers on the green who do this and make small flaws constantly in their putting stroke?

MH: Very good point. When it comes time to pull the trigger, you can't be thinking about mechanics. The best thing to concentrate on is the speed of the putt, or how hard to hit it. Once you have addressed the ball with your putter, you should have confidence that the line is correct. Save the mechanics for the practice green.

Thank You Mark.For more info on Mark Harman and the US Golf Teachers
Federation go to: http://usgtf.com

The Importance Of Using Practice Mats---Or Putting Greens As They're Called

The Importance Of Using Practice Mats: Practice Mats or putting greens as they're called;can prove to be very useful in order to keep your putting skills up,and be able to hit more holes in par.

 As well, a practice green,if its long will keep both your long and short putting skills on an upward level. Practice mats can be useful,but, depending on the type of material used like foam--may or may not be great to simulate the type green landscape you get on an actual green. So test some out at a well known golf store,and ask questions as well. Yes,overall practice mats are useful.
                                                                                                                                                                            Because if you don't use some type of surface to practice putts that is similar to a putting green,you won't get used to doing putts. You can be the greatest putter in the world,but if you're not used to the surface,you won't do well. It's more important to get used to the surface of a practice mat than just becoming a great putter. 

 Do this little test;buy a practice mat then go over to your local golf course and do a practice session of putts on a green and do comparisons. But practice on the mat for a week to 2 weeks first. There are various types of practice mat material from foam and rubber to plastic. But it's usually a combination of the three. So remember to test various practice mats out to get used to them.  

Short Putting--How To Get Good At It Forever--

By Mark Grove

Well,I keep getting emails from people who are hung up on how to short putt. Even after reading my material and the latest interview with Golf Guru Mark Harman.

I'm going to give you guys one tip to get started.Just one.

Start with Tap-in putts guys.That makes it simple doesn't it.No it's not sexy or fun,but if you don't have the basics down with short putting,you'll never get the long putts down either.

So for a week practice tap in putts only.From less than a foot and about a foot.How do you think the best putters like Lorne Roberts and Tiger got so good.They got down to the basics and just practiced constantly.

Don't worry about perfection or putting mechanics.Just keep your putt inline.Put a black mark on the ball and in the middle of the putter clubhead for a reference point and just start short putting.

It's not how long you practice,but consistency guys.Don't get hung up on stuff,that's why most people never succeed at putting.

Practice tap-ins for at least 10 minutes a day 4 to 7 days a week for the first week.What,can't take 10 minutes out of your day to do something that will make your golf game better,and shave strokes.

The littlest things help your game guys.

Short Putting Tip So Simple--But Most Of You Will Never Do It!

This is so simple it will make your head spin guys. Okay, start off by doing tap in putts from a little less than 2 feet. This is not as easy a feat as you think. Just start doing tap ins from one foot and put at least 5 balls around the hole and do them in succession. Don't stop, and then do it all over again until you've done these tap ins for 5 minutes.

Okay, now do some two foot putts with 5 balls and do this for another five minutes and stop. Do this 3 times a week at the least. The two footers will be a lot tougher. Don't worry if you miss, just keep going, and when you're done sinking, or even missing some, start over again until you've done one and two footers for 5 minutes each.

I guarantee you if you do this 3 times a week, your putting will get stronger and better.

I
f you don't practice you won't get better. it's as simple as that guys.

Much short putting success guys.

Mark

Short And Long Putting Tips From University Golfing Guru Jim Waite at University Of Western Ontario

 Hey everyone, I've interviewed another golf expert. This time it's Jim Waite the head golf coach at The University of Western Ontario. I've decided to start interviewing the top college and university golf coaches who teach some of the best student/golfers who decided to make the great game of golf their life.

In this interview I ask Jim questions on how to combine both short and long putting practice to become better putters,and golfers overall. I even asked Jim a question on putting mechanics versus being able to read the green,and what is more vital to putting success.

You'll gain  a lot of knowledge you can use in this interview on putting with Jim Waite.   

                                                                                                                                                                    When you teach golfers putting---do they do have more success in putting if they separate short putting sessions from long putting sessions?

We separate the two concepts as you have different goals with the two types of putts. On long putts, you are looking at a 3 foot circle around the whole as your target. Your goal is to finish the long putt so that you have a rather simple putt to complete the two putt.

The goal is not to make the long one...but to make a two-putt.

And once in a while the long one goes in. This happens more when you get better and better at lessening the three foot window.

 

Short putt sessions should start with the one foot putts (normally gimmees in fun rounds) where you attempt to hit the dead centre of the cup. This continues to putts of two feet, then three feet and so on. If you practise hitting the centre of the hole on short putts, this mentality stays with you as your short putts get longer.

 

  When you teach a player putting is it more important that they get down their short putts before long putts? Or do you teach them differently?

The two concepts are equally important but in order to avoid three putting a green (which is the goal on long putts),

success on lagging long putts is critical. We teach them differently. A critical component of making shorter putts is to ensure your putter blade accelerates through the ball and straight through to the centre of the cup.

 

I hope these questions make sense Jim.

 

  I wasn't sure how to approach this question Jim,so here it goes.

 

Is knowing how to read a green more important than having perfect mechanics putting wise? Because most don't have perfect mechanics as far I know.

But I don't know a lot.

Again, it is difficult to say one is more important than the other. To be a great putter, you must master both the ability to read the greens, and the perfect mechanics. Obviously the great putters (Zach Johnson, Jordan Spieth among others) do both very well. Zach seems to be very mechanical and every stroke looks the same. Jordan seems to be more natural in his putting stroke...a great reader of the greens with a natural stroke that works for him.

 

I think ( and this is just my theory ) that to ensure you putt with your arms and shoulders as opposed to your wrists, it works to anchor your right elbow (for right handed players) to your rib cage. This forces your body to make the motion with your arms and shoulders. Certainly not every one does this, but for people who become wristy in their putts, this helps to maintain the putter line.

Short Putting Aiming Tip---So Simple Even I Could Do It---And I'm Pretty Simple

 This is an actual audio I did about 3 or 4 years back. can't remember when exactly. This little aiming tip for your short putts you can do at home on your carpet using a can,plastic container,coffee cup or just a target you set up on the floor.   You'll be doing this short putting aiming tip from 3,5,7 and 10 feet.

It will take you anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes a day. If you want to improve your aim on short or long putts for that matter you'll try this little aiming tip. You may not think it's an aiming tip,but it is.

Just click the link below to listen to my lovely voice talk short putt aiming.
                                                                                                              https://www.voices.com/demo_detail/109983