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Gary Reynolds
PGA Professional
Tip 14: Complicated Putts
Some putts seem so difficult because severe breaks or elevation changes put additional pressure on the one faculty we need most to putt our very best, that is, our imagination. The best putters are said to have the best feel, but I think they have the best imaginations. And that imagination leads to feel. Imagine that the green is covered with silvery dew. Your putt would leave a distinct track on its way to the cup. Just imagine that track to help you determine the route of your putt, and burn that track into your mind and even onto the green. The end of your imaginary dew track should be right in the hole! Work at maintaining the track in your mind. Don't let the severity of the break or even the hole distract you. Start your ball right on that imaginary line, not on a line at the hole. Once the track is set in your imagination, your job is only to hit the putt at the right pace. So dust off your imagination, and dust the green in silvery dew to conquer those tricky sidehillers.
Gary Reynolds is a PGA Golf Professional at the Golf Club of Hartford, West Hartford, CT. To improve your game, visit a Connecticut Section PGA Golf Professional.