Stop Missing Short Putts

By October 22, 2018Tips & Tutorials
missing short putts

Golf is a great game when everything is going smoothly.  However, as beginner and amateur golfers know all too well, this is a rarity and there are many things which can lead to frustration on the golf course.

One of those things is missing short putts.  It can be infuriating when you play the perfect hole from tee to green and leave yourself with a short putt to make birdie or at worse par.  Missing a short putt is one of the worst feelings in golf and today we have some tips which will help you stop missing short putts.

To stop missing short putts, which is regarded as anything from 4 foot or closer, you must begin by taking your time.  Simply because a putt appears easy, does not mean you should be stepping up to the ball and playing the putt without any care and attention.

A casual attitude is one of the major reasons why people miss short putts.  Take your time and do not rush through your putting process.  This can be difficult if you have just played a longer putt as you are repeating your routine immediately.  If you feel rushed and not quite ready to settle into your short putt, mark the ball and clean it, this will give you a few seconds to compose yourself and reset.

Think about the speed you need to hit the ball when playing a short putt.  You may think there is no need to do this as you are going to play the ball firmly into the centre of the hole.  There is nothing wrong with that attitude but if you did happen to miss and you hit the ball too hard, you will be left with a tough putt to recover the situation.

Aim to hit the ball at a pace which will see it travel no further than a foot beyond the hole should you happen to miss.

A great way to stop missing short putts is to practice on the putting green by using a smaller target.  You can place two tees in the ground, leaving a gap which is only just big enough to send the ball through.

Drop some balls around 4 feet away from the tees and practice getting the ball through the narrow gap.  You will find it tough to consistently get a high number of balls through the tees but after you have spent 10 minutes doing this, move to a regular golf hole.

Immediately the target looks so much bigger and you will feel more confident of making a short putt.