The way to be successful on the greens is to remember to keep your system and routine as simple as possible. Putting on is completely personal and I think it should be that way. It must be your own style. There really is no right or wrong way to set up or stand on the ball. So you have to try to keep all precise and mechanical thoughts out of the way. You need to think about the rate at which you want the ball to roll and how far to the right or left of the hole the ball should travel. You want to think of it this way; the goal is to see how close you can get to the hole each time. One of the nice things about this is that if the ball goes in, it’s a bonus. If you have seen this sport over the years, you will know that there have been very successful putters, with very radical styles. That tells you that you can do what is comfortable for you.

Here are some placement tips that should help you.

1.) You need to be relaxed and comfortable before putting. If your body is tense and your arms are as stiff as boards and don’t forget about all the other tensioning things to do before hitting the ball, your success rate will not be very good. Stay relaxed …

2.) If you want to make more putts, you must hit the ball in the middle of the putter face. You can usually hear and feel a solid hit. This should be your number one goal, hitting the ball in the middle of the putter face. By the way, many putts miss because they weren’t hit in the middle of the clubface. Not because you chose the wrong line or speed.

3.) Try not to change your putting stroke often, just try to hit the ball solid each time.

4.) One of the main keys is the tempo, back and forth. It doesn’t matter if your tempo is fast, slow, or intermediate, just be consistent with it back and forth.

5.) Try not to get anxious and watch what the ball does, stay down and through the putt. Do not look. Chances are, if you HAVE LOOKED, you’ve probably seen another putt miss the cup. This is another reason putts fail, it’s because you can lift your head quickly. This will also prevent you from hitting the ball directly in the center of the putter face. Don’t forget that it is a very natural thing to want to see where the ball is going before it goes. Everyone has this problem, even professionals. Try this, count to one after hitting the ball so you can stay down and pass the putt.

If you look at Anika and Tiger, they could have a 5 to 10 foot putt, and their heads barely go up when the ball goes into the hole. Right there, that should tell you something. Keep your head down and the rest of your body will continue to stay down as well. By following these guidelines and remember the goal is to see how close you can get the ball to the hole, and you should see an improvement in your putting.

More information can be found at http://www.puttlightsout.com