By David MacKenzie
I’ve called this article “The Art of Putting,” because if you want to get better at it, it’s important that you think about it as more of an art and less of a technical science.
Good putting is performed with the senses. You need to see and feel everything, and learn to trust your instincts. The more intense your focus is on your imagined line and speed, the better the stroke you will make.
SWITCHING ON THE ‘ATHLETIC MIND’
The ball being stationary in golf can be both good and bad. It’s good in the sense that you get time to consider the situation in front of you and figure out the best shot. But it’s (potentially) bad in the sense that it can open up a window of time for you to think before and during your putt. Athletic motion is proven to be optimal when the mind is quiet—you’re not thinking—you’re simply reacting to the target.
Putting requires feel and touch. In order for you to make the right length and speed of stroke, and to square the face to your intended start line (once you’ve set up and aligned correctly) requires you to have your “athletic mind” switched on and your “thinking brain” switch off.
The athletic mind doesn’t do technical instruction or thinking about what the consequence will be if you make or miss a putt—instead it uses the senses and your imagination to be instinctive. The best putters are both artists and athletes. They can engage the right side of the brain (the visual and creative side) and turn off thinking, allowing the stroke to happen without conscious thought. Unlike poor putters, they don’t overthink the putt (line/pace and consequence of making/missing), have doubt or guide the stroke. If the athletic mind is engaged over the ball, the movement centers of your brain will have all the information about that putt to make a positive stroke.
HOW TO PRACTICE THE ART OF PUTTING VISUALIZATION
Being able to “see” the line of the putt before you start your stroke is important sensory information which your subconscious mind will use to perform the action. Try to imagine how fast or slow the ball will be rolling down the line and where on the hole it will enter. Will it be dying into the hole and going in on one side, or going more into the center of the cup with pace? There is more than one line into the hole!
FEEL
Can you imagine what a putt will feel like without moving your putter? Try to do this. Fortunately, we get to use our rehearsal strokes to give us an idea of how the putt will feel. With each rehearsal stroke, imagine how the ball will feel coming off the putter face, and then try to hold onto that sensation when you are over the ball. Again, this is information about the putt that your subconscious will use to make the right length of backstroke. Try closing your eyes while putting (in practice), so you are forced to anticipate and improve your sense of feel for different lengths of putt.
TEMPO
Your tempo (the relative time of your backswing to through swing before you hit the ball) is an important factor in putting and something that should be practiced. Why does tempo matter in putting? The best putters have the same tempo whether it’s a 5 feet or 50 feet putt. This means the putting stroke will have a consistent rate of acceleration into the ball and deceleration afterwards (the ball gets in the way of the stroke and slows the putter down). Train your tempo using a metronome or music, or apps such as Tour Tempo and experiment with using it in your pre-putt routine.
PERFORMANCE TRAINING FOR PUTTING
A part of your practice should be dedicated to pressurized “performance drills,” where you simulate the golf course and practice your pre-putt routine. If you’re in need of drills, I’ve got over 50 performance drills in my Golf State of Mind Putting System.
What are the most important things for you to focus on before and during a putt? Experiment to find your most effective putting “feels” and hold yourself accountable to them on the golf course. Your routine is what maximizes your chances of making a putt on the course. If you can do all your “process goals” during your routine, you will have made your best effort whatever the outcome.
In summary, it’s important that you work on your imagination and the sensory aspects of putting and include this in your routine for every putt. Overtime, this will lead to better putting, more confidence and lower scores.
David MacKenzie is a mental coach for Golf and the founder of Golf State of Mind. While studying at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland, David began in-depth research into Sports Psychology and how elite performers apply their minds to practice and play. He turned this research into his Ultimate Mental Game Training System for Golf which has been used by over 100,000 golfers worldwide. David currently works individually with all levels of golfer, from Junior and College golfers to Tour winners.