| "Drive for show, putt for dough" is the lesson | | | | head" but you move from just below your chest. |
| we've all seen and learned from watching | | | | Keep your head directly over the ball. Pull your |
| professional golfers in every tournament and | | | | club back; keep your hands, wrists, arms and |
| championship. | | | | shoulders teady-the movement comes from your |
| The masters of golf can drive a ball from here to | | | | chest. Hit the ball, following it with your club. |
| eternity, but it all boils down to how many strikes | | | | Visualize to stay positive. Confidence plays a huge |
| of the ball it takes to put the ball in the hole. The | | | | role in putting. As you stand over putts on the |
| long accurate drives don't amount to anything if | | | | practice green, visualize a trough leading from |
| you're unable to putt accurately. | | | | your putter to the cup and imagine hearing the |
| Choosing a putter is important, but using | | | | sound of the ball dropping into the cup. |
| whatever putter you have consistently is more | | | | Put down a chalk line to practice keeping your |
| so. I've had the same putter for fifteen years; I | | | | putter on-line. You can find a chalk line in a |
| know what it feels like in my hand, I know its | | | | hardware store - it's that string carpenters snap |
| weight and how that plays into my putts. | | | | to a surface to leave a chalk imprint. |
| Putting takes lots of practice. Typically, we drive | | | | Practice keeping your putter on line and hitting the |
| the ball eighteen times in a game, but putt at | | | | sweet spot in your living room. Use an alignment |
| least double that number. Doesn't it stand that we | | | | tool (a ruler, for instance) and putting aids you can |
| should practice our putting at least twice as much | | | | buy to affix to your putter's head that will help |
| as driving? If you can't get to the practice green | | | | with centering the stroke. |
| regularly, practice on your carpet at home. | | | | One of the most important factors in golf is the |
| Keep in mind that no ball can make it into the hole | | | | ball position. Don't forget it is the back of the ball |
| if it doesn't have enough power behind the ball to | | | | that you are stroking with the putter, and not the |
| get there. Take the time to get down and look at | | | | centre. Remember that the back of the ball is in |
| the path from your ball to the hole; does it slant | | | | the middle of your stance, or slightly forward of |
| one way or the other? Is it uphill or downhill? | | | | this, if you are using a square-to-square stroke. |
| Stand with your feet spread for balance and line | | | | Learn from each putt and remember the lesson. |
| up the putt. Keep you hands, arms and shoulders | | | | Practice, practice, practice! |
| completely still; imagine that you are a "bobble | | | | |