The short breaking putt is one of those where nerves can really creep in before playing the shot. It could be a putt to make birdie, save par or save the dreaded double bogey, whatever the situation, the short breaking putt is never easy.
One of the reasons players do not like playing this shot is because it looks like one which should be made with little difficulty. However, we all know that is not the case yet when we miss the putt, it can look bad.
So, what can you do to make a solid, confident short breaking putt into the middle of the hole? We are talking about putts from within 5 feet of the hole and unless the green is sloping severely, the putt will not break from outside the hole. There is simply not enough distance between the ball and the hole for the break to have such an impact on the roll.
Unfortunately, that means it is difficult to pick an exact line for your short breaking putt and this is the reason why these putts are missed.
When practicing your putting, try placing five tees around the back of the hole, starting from the left side, working around to the right side. If you use wooden tees, you can number them, starting with 1 on the left and working around to 5 on the right.
Using these tees, you can decide which of them you need to use to aim the putt correctly. So, if the break was from left to right, as a right handed player you can see it is severe, you will start your putt aiming for tee number 1. If you believe there is a less severe break from right to left, you would start the putt in line with tee number 4.
Doing this allows you to break up the hole into different segments and use it as a guide. When on the golf course, you can easily imagine where the tees would be around the back of the hole.
Do not over-read the severity of the break. In many cases, beginner golfers over compensate for the break when close to the hole instead of concentrating on hitting the ball with a true strike. A confident putt will all but eliminate any slight break on a short putt so always keep that in mind when considering the line of the shot.
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