Two Great Putting Tips

For the most part, image-related putting tips are better than technique-related putting tips. Technique has its place, but in my opinion it is more beneficial to offer tips that are mental in nature than physical when it comes putting.

The following tips are about "narrowing your focus" and "visualizing the line." By applying these mental exercises, your confidence will rise. As a result, the physical part of your stroke will also improve.

Putting tip #1 - Narrow your focus
Have you ever been on a putting green that has miniature holes cut in the green? These are holes that are a little larger than the size of a golf ball.
At first, you may wonder what these things are doing there. It’s all about narrowing the player’s focus. By putting to a hole that is about one-fourth the size of the actual cup, it gives players much more confidence when they putt to the real thing. After spending about five minutes putting to one of these miniature holes, you will notice an amazing difference when putting to a real-size cup. Your confidence will soar because the hole will look huge.

The important thing to remember is that you are not changing your stroke. By seeing an "extra-large" cup and feeling the confidence it brings, you trick your body into allowing you to make your best stroke. 

Make "narrowing your focus" a part of your practice putting routine. If you spend five minutes putting before a round, spend one or two minutes doing this. You probably won’t have these little holes to putt to, so place a tee in the green or set a quarter on the green and putt to that. Use anything that will narrow your focus and make the actual cup look larger.

Putting tip #2 – Visualize the line
Have you ever looked at an imaginary path that your ball will travel on?
If you have, that’s great. I’m sure you know the benefits of doing this. If not, you should make it a part of your pre-putt routine.The idea is to situate yourself behind the putt as you normally would. But instead of just reading the break, study the actual path it will travel on. Picture the ball rolling along the intended line directly into the cup. Do this about three or four times before you hit the putt.
In addition to seeing the perfect line, you will achieve a better sense of distance. After rehearsing the path of a twenty footer enough times with your eyes, your twenty-foot stroke will become much more consistent.

The most important thing these putting exercises will give you is confidence. Confidence and feel are the most crucial aspects in putting.