The Psychology of Putting

Putting is the most mental act in golf. A four-foot putt on the first hole of a Saturday round and a four-foot putt to win a club championship are, mechanically, the same stroke. They do not feel the same, and that is the entire problem.

The pros talk about a "commit line." Pick your line, set your feet, and from that moment forward, your only job is to roll the ball at the pace you read. Second-guessing is the enemy. If you change your mind mid-stroke, you will miss.

A useful drill: putt with your eyes closed. Read the putt, set up, close your eyes, and roll it. You will be astonished how often the ball finds the hole, because you have removed the part of your brain that tries to steer. The hands know what to do.

Confidence is built from short putts, not long ones. Spend fifteen minutes a day holing three-footers in a circle around the hole. Hear the ball drop a hundred times in a row, and the four-footer on the eighteenth green will feel like a formality.

And when you miss — and you will miss — let it go before you walk to the next tee. A bad putt that follows you for three holes costs you five shots, not one.