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Here’s How to Stop Missing So Many Short Putts

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While golf is a game that is supposed to be fun above all else, there are still things that get under the skin of every golfer. Your personal frustrations with the game may vary, but we as golfers can all agree on one thing – there is nothing quite as frustrating as missing a short putt.

Short putts are just annoying. In many ways, they are a no-win situation – if you make it, you were supposed to make it, so it doesn’t really feel like an accomplishment. If you miss, however, you’ve “wasted” a stroke and there is nothing you can do to get it back.

Even if you play brilliantly for the rest of the day, that one wasted stroke is going to eat at you. The finality of wasting a stroke by missing a short putt winds up adding pressure to the situation, making these types of putts even more challenging.

Luke List reacts to missing a putt on the 18th green during the final…

Luke List reacts to missing a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 15, 2018 in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Unfortunately, we aren’t going to promise that reading this article will eliminate the possibility of missing any short putts in upcoming rounds. We do think you’ll benefit from the tips below, however, so please read on.

Accept Reality

This first piece of advice might surprise you, but we firmly believe that it can help.

One of the best things you can do to improve your short putting is to accept the reality that you might not make them all. That’s right – you need to be okay with missing if you are going to make these putts at a high percentage. There is simply too much going on that is out of your control to expect perfection.

For example, you could hit a great putt that is headed right for the middle of the cup – until it hits a bump and darts off to the right. Is that your fault? Of course not, but it’s the way the game works.

If you expect perfection from yourself on short putts, the pressure you feel will be enormous. Every time you line up to hit a short putt, you will feel the weight on your shoulders that comes with such expectations.

There is no reason to do that to yourself. Instead, focus your mind on what you can control, which is the execution of a great stroke.

Make a plan for the putt, make a quality stroke, and accept the results for what they are. This mindset will take stress out of the situation, and you should make more putts in the long run.

Take Your Time

A good way to miss your fair share of short putts is to rush through the process.

Most of the time, a short putt is going to be your second putt, after the first one has missed (that is not always the case, of course, as you could have hit it or chipped it close). If the short putt is your second putt, be sure to mark your ball, clean it, and take a deep breath.

You need to let your mind refocus on the task at hand, instead of continuing to think about the previous putt.

Fans react as Justin Rose of England misses a putt during round two…

Fans react as Justin Rose of England misses a putt during round two of the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship at Club de Golf Chapultepec on March 2, 2018 in Mexico City, Mexico. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

You don’t want to add to the pace of play problem in this game, of course, but it really shouldn’t take more than a few seconds to reset yourself before the next putt.

After you have replaced the ball on the green, pick out a good line and go through your standard pre-putt routine. You should feel much more confident in your ability to make the putt having spent a bit of time gathering your thoughts.

Take It Easy

Here’s the thing about speed control on short putts – it doesn’t seem like it should matter, but it does.

Since you are only thinking about making the putt, you are likely to use aggressive speed in order to hold the line and knock the ball into the back of the cup. That’s fine, when it works. When it doesn’t, and the ball slides by the edge, you have a mess on your hands. Not only have you missed one short putt, but you might be getting ready to miss another.

We aren’t saying that you should putt scared from close range, but we don’t think jamming the ball into the cup is the way to go, either.

Tiger Woods reacts to missing a putt when a fan yelled out during his…

Tiger Woods reacts to missing a putt when a fan yelled out during his putt on the South Course during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Ideally, you will use a speed that lets the ball roll just a foot or so past the cup, if it should happen to miss. This is enough speed to keep the ball on line, but not so much that you could wind up wasting a couple of strokes before the ball finally falls in.

Obviously, you can afford to be more aggressive with your speed on uphill short putts than you can when heading down a slope.

The Eyes Have It

Finally, the tip that you probably expected to see right from the start. If you are going to make a lot of short putts, you need to keep your eyes steady and stable throughout the stroke.

Pick out a spot on the top of the ball to watch closely during the stroke, and keep your eyes trained on that spot until the ball has rolled away. By keeping your eyes steady, you will be more likely to keep the rest of your body steady, and that is crucial if you are going to hole out on a consistent basis.

We hope the advice in this article will give you a boost of confidence the next time you face a short putt on the course. Also, don’t forget to practice this part of your game regularly.  Seeing a bunch of short putts fall in during practice is a great way to give yourself a positive attitude about short putting in general.


Cover Image via Flickr

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