Reaching The End Point on Each Putt You Hit

So many golfers underestimate the importance of putting.  Putting consists of 40% of the game, from a short 3 inch tap in putt, to a 30 foot putt from the other side of the green. To make more putts, you need to have a solid, consistent stroke, but before that you need to make sure two other things are correct.  Putting is part of the game that is an art and requires a tremendous amount of touch and feel.  To be successful you need to determine how much the wind, slope and grain will influence the ball to move offline.

Pay close attention every time to the wind direction, as the wind will push the ball more in the direction it is blowing.  The slope, undulations, and contours in the green need to be evaluated so you have an idea of where the ball will break towards.  Last, the grain especially in warmer climates such as Hawaii and Florida that have Bermuda turf has a grain factor.  This grain factor can be found by looking at the cup and looking for a browned out or burnt out edge, which identifies that the grain is growing in that direction.  Once you take these three factors into consideration, they will be helpful in establishing an aiming point allowing you to get locked into your target and having less doubt over the golf ball.  The key to reading greens well is to find the line you want your ball to start on.  Your only objective is to hit your golf ball on the line you believe in and trust and let the wind, slope and the grain take care of the rest.

The keys towards great putting are having the correct grip which needs to be positioned through the palms of the hands instead of the fingers.  This ensures that the putter shaft is in line with the forearms creating a single plane through the arms and putter shaft.  I would suggest getting in the habit of aiming the putter face allowing your elbows to be bent slightly and your hands to rest under your shoulder line to promote a relaxed setup.  Continue by taking your stance while the putter is resting behind the golf ball.  The putter needs to be set directly in the center of your stance which positions the golf ball slightly ahead of center.  Once the stance is taken you will need to feel a slight bend at your hips which will allow your eyes to rest slightly inside or over the golf ball.  This is a crucial element allowing your eyes to see the line of the putt.  Feel your weight equally distributed resting more towards the arches.  Great putters have an end point to their putting stroke, work on these fundamentals to help you become a great putter.  Practice accelerating to the end point of your stroke before you track the ball with your eyes, allowing the putter head to come to a rest before you turn your head to track the ball. This will allow you to hit putts solid and have a much more efficient putting stroke.