The two most important clubs in your golf bag are your driver and your putter. The adage “drive for show, putt for dough” still holds true. Emotions are the most important part of your mental game, and the driver and putter are the most emotionally charged clubs in your bag. You must have confidence in your putting game to score. You cannot be a great putter without confidence. You must really believe you’re going to make the putt, not just hope to make it.
Anyone can putt. A two-year-old can putt the ball into the hole. Putting may be the simplest task in all sport. The putting stroke itself is only one part of the art of putting. Of equal importance is seeing a clear picture of the path to the hole, having a consistent set-up, reading the greens and aiming the clubface correctly.
Putting is a game within a game. It is the part of the game where the ball never leaves the ground. It is artful because it requires that you create in your mind the path the ball will travel. You then stroke the ball along that line with an artful stroke of gentleness or firmness depending on the conditions. It is the stroke where you need to trust your inner intuition and creativeness completely.
To be a great putter, you need to train your eyes to see a mental picture of the hole and the path that the ball will travel to drop in. Look at the hole until you have a mental picture of it, of the space where it is, and the path that the ball will travel to get there. Tiger’s father Earl taught him to “Putt to the picture.” If you don’t see a picture, practice looking back and forth until you can close your eyes and see it. Then you will know where your target is without looking at it. Your own vision is one of the most powerful faculties you have for bringing an invisible activity into visible, physical form.
People are different. Putting strokes are different. Everyone can be a good putter. Golfers make it the most difficult by indecision and thinking fearful thoughts. When do you decide you are putting poorly? When do you decide you are putting well? Have you decided to become a great putter? Or do you constantly talk about how poorly you putt?
Fear thoughts are thoughts about missing. Fear is focusing on the outcome. Focus on the process of giving the ball the best possible chance to go into the hole. Trust that you can do this. Trust is better than training.
Putting is the most crucial part of the golf game. Putting is mental. 40-50% of all shots taken in a golf round are putts. It is the only shot used on every hole. It is the shot you must trust to score well/win the tournament. It makes up for other flaws. If you can master putting you will be the envy of all the other players.
Of all the clubs, the putter gets the least attention. People pick putters because they feel good, look good, or because they putt well with it the first time out. Your putter needs to have the correct length, the correct lie angle and loft, and correct weight to compliment your stroke.
Golfers make unorthodox movements to compensate for the equipment they are using, and the putter is no exception. If you have not been fitted for your putter, this is the first thing you need to do. When you are fitted correctly you will feel very confident knowing that your putter is giving you the best possible aim and alignment.
Performance anxiety comes from your belief about yourself and the way you view your putting ability. Here are seven mental keys to energize confidence in your putting game.
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
To train your brain to believe in yourself and your abilities to play your best golf, you can listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-empowering guided imagery self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. All eight different CDs are also available now as MP3s. www.pmi4.com/cart
If you aren’t able to maintain trust and belief in yourself on the golf course, email Joan at pmi4@bellsouth.net for a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation about developing a new mindset. Learn what is missing in your golf game so you can achieve the success you desire.
“THE HEART OF GOLF, Access Your Supreme Intelligence for Peak Performances” explores and explains negative emotions such as fear and performance anxiety, the four Cs of mind blockage, the four progressive stages of learning the supreme intelligence of the heart, and the way to access the zone in competition. It is a player’s guide for developing your true inner self by returning to the joy and love of self instead of seeking praise and rewards from the outside world.
“THE HEART OF GOLF“ guidebook for transforming your life and your golf game is available on Amazon and Kindle at http://amzn.to/2MQzjfq All royalties will be donated to Junior Golf!