To have a complete golf game you need to be properly in tune on the greens and have a proper putting system in place.  This doesn’t need to be unduly complicated, or give you dozens of things to think about. In fact, the simpler it is the better it will work. In many ways the best golf is delivered when you are feeling at your easiest and most relaxed. It’s no coincidence that you shoot your lowest scores when there is no pressure to perform, and yet somehow seem to struggle when you are playing your boss or someone you really want to impress!

At least that is how I found it when I set out to improve my putting. I tried lots of different methods, and none of them really worked for me until I tried this system, and within a few weeks I was consistently putting much better.

Putting System – First Thoughts…

If we start to think about the reasons for why golfers struggle with putting, then a few factors instantly become clear as to why this is the case. The first of these is that golf is a sport that has an extremely closely entwined mind-body connection. Whatever you think translates into micro muscle movements that can be the difference between lipping a shot and having it go smoothly into the center of the cup. And over the course of a whole round that can translate into a ten shot difference in your final score. So this is something that you MUST get right in your putting system if you want to have any chance of achieving your best performances.

Here are Five Putting System Tips:

1/ Eliminating Tension –

Before you go to strike the ball first close your eyes and imagine a wave of calm descending on you. You can even imagine this as a green mist, or as being in a soothing, warm bath if you like. The key intention is to remove tension in your body and specifically in your torso and your arms. This may sound a little kooky, but it really works.

2/ Ball Striking –

The force vector that you can impose on a golf ball depends largely on where you strike it. So you need to ensure that you strike the ball squarely in the middle of the face.  Again, this is something that it is important to check BEFORE hitting the ball, as otherwise you are not channelling the energy from the movement of your arm and torso effectively, and you will miss much more often.

3/ Mechanise Your Stroke –

Putting strokes are very personal things, and within any putting system you need to feel comfortable that you can consistently produce the same positive outcome (the golf ball in the cup!) To do that, it is worth taking a looking at the mechanics of how you strike the golf ball, and extrapolating from it the elements that work for you. This will differ between golfers, and so you need to start tuning in to your own personal striking patterns as you develop your putting system.

4/ Consistent Tempo –

As well as the other considerations above, you also need to be aware of both how much force you are exerting, as well as the velocity of the stroke. There are really then two sides to tempo. The strength and the follow through. You need to make sure that when you are striking the ball that this is done easily and effortlessly, as that will produce better results.

5/ Control Head Movements –

This is a big factor in why many people miss their putts. They may do many things correctly, but then just as they are taking the putt, they take a sneaky peek at the cup and in the process miss. Learning to be in sync with the green and trusting  your instincts (Jedi Fashion), is a far surer recipe for having success in developing a personal putting system that produces success on the greens.

These and a lot of other different putting techniques are discussed here >>

This certainly helped me to lower my score, so perhaps it can do the same for you