It is perhaps the supreme irony in golf that the simplest shot
in the book seems to cause the biggest problem to the largest
number of golfers.
Let's face it, the putt is the only golf shot that it is
really possible to execute flawlessly without any tuition at
all. We all start off doing this as kids. Some of us are even
superb at it at this young age. It is this shot that is often
the spur that leads to a lifelong addiction to this wonderful
game of golf.
What then, goes wrong? How can this
easiest of golf shots become the absolute bane of an adult
golfer's life? Sorry to say, there is no easy answer. Experts
are just as baffled as inexperienced amateurs over this one. The
saying 'it's all in the mind' was probably never more true than
in this golfing case.
Several years ago, an American
company developed a golf putting machine. They carried out tests
in optimum putting conditions and were gob-smacked to discover
that their pride and joy couldn't hole every putt. They took
that machine apart and tweaked every element of it until they
were certain that it was in perfect working order. And, guess
what? It still failed to hole some putts. If this doesn't go to
prove that there is at least an element of 'black art' about
golf putting, then nothing will.
The best lesson to take
from the above is that you really never are going to achieve
putting perfection. If a machine in perfect working under
operating under perfect putting conditions fails to hole every
golf putt, then a human being with all his or her imperfections
never is.
So, the first rule is, stop giving yourself
such a hard time whenever you miss a few putts. It happens to
even top professional golfers. In fact, any problem you have
with putting is much more likely to be psychological than
physical, so the very last thing you should be doing is getting
down on yourself mentally; this can only make matters worse.
Is there anything you can do if you really do have severe,
regular putting problems? Well, apart from working on the mental
side of things to inculcate strong belief that you really can
putt (try some self-hypnosis tapes etc.) the best advice is to
see if a change of putter will do the trick. Take your lead from
the professionals. So many professional golfers who've suffered
terribly from the 'yips' on the putting green, such as Bernhard
Langer, found their salvation in the broom handle putter - maybe
you should give one a try.
About the Author:
Edwin Shackleford has been helping individuals improve thier
golf game for years. Visit His Site Today
http://www.improve-your-golf-game.com
