The most vital part of our golf game is putting

On average, the number of putts we take per round will fluctuate from 28 for the pros to 40 and over for the higher handicap golfer. Usually that means that approximately a third of all our golf shots are putts. How many of us use a third of our practice time on the putting green or anytime finding out about reading putting greens?

All of us who struggle with our putting can benefit from these putting tips and you will improve rapidly. These tips have helped me get over the "yips" and have made a marked improvement in my putting. If you can improve your putting by only 10% that will equate to bettering your scores by 2 to 4 shots per round and even more for others.

You may have seen on TV that many professionals are now scoring their golf balls with a thin black or colored line, Tiger Woods being one of them. They do this to aid their alignment while putting. The main benefit of doing this, is to have one less thing to think about while making a putt. I will explain more on this shortly but the less we all have to think about while putting the better. The more positive and relaxed we can be, the more putts we will make.

Most putts are missed by golfers because they are not completely confident that they are aiming correctly or that they will not have the correct speed. The doubt that this creates causes all sorts of problems namely:

• Lifting your head or peeking too soon to see if you have made the putt. Generally, this causes a putt to be pushed because the shoulders have opened up slightly.
• Manipulating the putter head to allow for a perceived inaccuracy in your aim. Subconsciously, you have decided that there is a problem, so subconsciously you try and correct that problem with your hands even though that problem may not even exist. This is how the dreaded yips begin.

So to remove both these faults, the first thing to do is mark a black line on half the circumference of the golf ball. (ball marking kits can be bought very inexpensively and many balls already have a line on them). Use this black line to your advantage. Line up your putts as normal and decide how much break there is. Point the line on your ball along the line you have decided to putt along. Once you have done this forget about the line of the putt. It is vital at this point that you must trust that the line you have chosen is correct.

Concentrate now on your golf ball speed. Take up your normal stance and make a few imaginery putts. While doing so look at the hole not at your ball. What we are trying to achieve is to FEEL how hard we need to stroke the ball to get it to the hole. Imagine if you can that you can see the ball rolling to the hole and falling in.Take as many practice strokes as you feel are necessary to get the feeling of the correct weight of stroke. Make sure you remember this feeling .

Once you are happy with your speed, stand over the ball and make your stroke. Trust it. You must never doubt that you have the proper speed and aim. Never doubt that you have the correct line and proper weight.

All we have to do now is make a good putting stroke.

You can forget about the line because you have already decided that it is correct. You have already decided what weight of stroke you will use, so you can forget about that. The only thought in your head once you stand over the ball is to swing the putter straight back and straight through.

We can also get significant feedback from our line on the ball. If the line is wobbling alot as the ball makes its way to the cup then we have not put a good stroke on it. If the line rolls perfectly end over end and appears to be a unbroken line, we have put a great stroke on it. This will give us something else to work on at a later date.

By eliminating most of the processes associated with putting, both mechanical and psychological, we have greatly improved our chances of making the putt.

About the Author

What would you say if I told you I could transform your golf game in as little a 2 weeks. Discover how these great tips transformed my golf game and set me on the road to cutting 8 shots off my handicap by visiting http://www.golfdownswinginfo.com