Learn to Putt like a Pro on the Golf Course by Picking a Target and Using a Routine

A few simple adjustments to your putting can shave strokes off your game and make you a better golfer. First, before you address a putt, make sure you take the time to read the contours and undulations of the putting surface as a whole. In other words, do not just rely upon your read of the green from directly behind your golf ball. Instead, be sure to walk around to the back of the cup, evaluating the green as you walk to the hole, and then taking another look from behind the hole. If you do this, you will often find there is more or less break to the putt than you realized, or you may even recognize that the break straightens out or will turn the opposite direction near the hole.

After you have made your read of the green, pick a spot near the hole consistent with your read of the putting surface. If in doubt, you should always play more break because - one thing is for certain - you will never hole a putt if you do not play enough break. Along these same lines, make sure you hit the ball hard enough to travel just past the hole because you will never hole a putt that doesn't make it to the cup either.

Once you have picked your target, imagine a straight line from your ball to that target. Then, along that imagined line, pick a spot about two to five feet in front of you on the green and focus on it. This is your new aiming point. Take a couple of practice strokes and simulate striking the golf ball through this point with enough speed to land the golf ball just past the hole.

After your practice strokes, you are ready to step up and address the ball. When you address the golf ball, make sure your eyes are directly over the ball. This will give you the best chance to strike the golf ball on your target line and in a more consistent fashion. Simply align your feet on a parallel path to the left of your selected target point, which is two to five feet out. Then, align your putter face behind the ball so that it is exactly perpendicular to your target point. Once you are in position, relax and take the putter straight back and straight through just like your practice swing. If you use this routine on the golf course, you will be surprised how your putting and your golf scores will improve.