putting

Question
My son plays college golf.  What would you say is the best advice to perfect putting., ie. training aid, mindset, or practice routine.

Answer
Hi Sandy;

Well first off, there really is no such thing as perfect putting.

For him to perfect his own putting just takes time and practice.  Most players especially at the college level at sometime go through esteem issues about their putting prowess.

My best suggestion is to spend time with your local PGA Professional and get him to give your son specific techniques that will improve that.

There are also several books out there that specifically deal with this subject.

One of my favorite drills to use is what I call the clock drill.

start with 10 balls at 1 foot from the hole and make all 10 consecutively.
then move to 2 feet and repeat.  each time he is successful he can move out one more foot from the hole.

There is a caveat though...if he misses one of the putts, he has to start all over from 1 foot.

this is a great drill to find his can't miss distance.

Another drill I use is the blindfold drill and I do this from 12+ feet and farther away.

You only get to look at the hole for 3 seconds, then you must put the blindfold on and hit 25 balls all within 6 inches of the hole.  A great blindfold to use for this is one of the ones that people use to sleep with.  you can get one at almost any pharmacy.

I know these are simple drills and they may be boring to him, but they will show him quite a bit.  Tour Players typically spend about 5 - 8 hours a week practicing their putting some more some less.  The old adage goes, find the player who spend 75% of his practice time on his short game and putting, and you will find them in the top ten every time,  Then after you have found him...mimick him.

I hope this helps.

Good Luck

Happy golfing and have a great day.

Robb Nunn
PGA Professional and Founder
Golf Equation Swing Academy
http://www.robbnunn.com