The easiest way to lower your golf score is to improve your putting stroke. Most golfers spend their time at the driving range thinking that if they fix that slice, or drive 10 yards further, their scores will drop. This is no surprise considering how golf club manufacturers put so much effort into marketing their newest, longest, lightest, furthest hitting drivers. It’s no wonder that putting so often overlooked.
However, if you take the time to count all the strokes you take on the green, you’d see that they account for 40% – 50% of your total score. The average golfer shooting betwween 100 and 130 will take anywhere from 40 – 60 putts (count them your next round). This might make you reconsider all the time you spend at the driving range, and get you to work on improving your putting. Just because you can’t slice a putt, doesn’t mean that you can’t improve your putting stroke.
Consistently sinking putts requires two things:
- 1. Hitting the ball along the right line
2. Hittiing the ball at the proper speed
Hitting the proper line requires that you know how to read the green: is the putt level, does it break left/right, and by how much.
Hitting the ball at the proper speed means that you have accurately estimated the distance, and factored in other variables such as uphill/downhill, putting with/against the grain, is the green soft/hard, wet/dry, etc.
Much of this knowledge comes with practice and experience. There is no quick fix that will make you a better putter. The stance, grip, putter and swing that work for Tiger Woods may be totally inappropriate for you. Chances are your basic putting style is fine. You need to develop a consistent stroke, which is only possible with time and practice.
To get the most benefit from your practice time, take some tips from a touring pro and watch how fast you improve your putting stroke, because the better you putt, the lower you will score.
