The Official 'Double P' Blog

Regarding this week's tip, we are going to focus on putting and ways you can get the most out of practicing your putting.

As many of you know, the difference between winning a golf tournament or coming up short can be nothing more than making or missing your putts at the right time.

This past week at Pebble Beach, P.P. was very happy with his ball striking - but equally as upset with the way he putted. In fact, don't be surprised if you see a new putter in the bag this week at Riviera.

There are three things important to hitting a successful putt:

[#1] A Good Line -- To work on your line, find a straight putt of
about 6 feet and see how many out of 5 you can make. Consistency is
key. Like a basketball player hitting free throws, it needs to become
consistent.

If you can't consistently hit straight putt after straight
putt in the hole, you are not going to make the more difficult putts.

[#2] Hitting the Ball With the Correct Speed -- The correct speed to
hit a putt is about a foot past the hole. Find a putt between 10-20
feet and see how many of the 5 balls you can hit the correct speed.
Again, continue this drill until you can consistently leave that ball
a foot past the cup on the putting green.

[#3] Reading the Green Correctly -- This is the biggest difference
between the amatuers and the pros. Most amateurs miss putts on the low side, so make sure and keep track of where/how you miss your putts. Most of the amateurs I personally teach love to hit their drivers at the range, but hate going to the putting green to work on the flat stick. As referenced earlier, P.P. is very happy with his ball striking right now - but the putter would've been the difference maker this weekend at Pebble Beach.

Spend as much time on the putting green as you do the range, implement these techniques and don't be surprised if you start putting noticiably better within weeks.

Go low. Coach MO.