My friend continues the quest to improve his putting.
I have a confession to make. Since my last blog I’ve barely practiced any mental techniques. Why? Well, it became glaringly obvious that my putting stroke had major flaws of a technical manner. I tried putting with that flawed stroke, but with the most confident and positive attitude I could muster, but it made very little difference.
Granted, this is only carpet putting for now (weather and other commitments have kept me off the course), but I’ve always found if I can’t consistently roll the ball at home I have no chance when venturing onto the course. This situation left me in a bit of a quandary: Do I sort out my stroke or do I stick to the program and tough it out with mental techniques? Rather than agonise over it I remember something I’d read years ago that always stuck in my mind. If you can’t make a decision then decide not to decide. This simple thought always releases me.
So I forgot about my putting and worked on my pitching instead as this also been troublesome of late. A quick word with my pro, Dan Whittaker of Altrincham Golf Range, and the problem was identified as getting too steep and not hitting with my pivot/body action. I worked diligently on a simple drill he taught me until I could hit the ball with passive arms again. Happy with the progress I was making I reached for my putter for ten minutes before ending my session. Something marvellous had happened. I was rolling the ball beautifully, time after time. How? Why? The body release drill I’d been working on with my wedge translated perfectly to my putting stroke. I had, unbeknownst to me, been disconnected and handsy with my putting stroke, but now could easily feel like I was putting with a pure pendulum action of the shoulders.
The moral to this little anecdote is that it doesn’t matter how mentally strong you are, you must have solid fundamentals to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather be positive with a dodgy stroke than negative with a dodgy stroke, but combining great technique and mental strength is what separates the good from the great.
Have you claimed your Free Birthday Golf yet? Subscribe to our ezine and get the report!
Technorati Tags: Mental Golf, putting practice
