Putting, which is a game within a game, is an important component of golf. Golf success demands the composite of a great putter and a great swinger. Therefore, mastering putting holds the key to golf success. Mastering putting is more than mastering the basic techniques of putting. It requires certain intrinsic characteristics that you must learn to acquire consciously. First of all, you need to be a confident putter in order to become a perfect putter. Confidence is the essence of golf success -- essential not just for putting but also for every other aspect of golf. To be a confident putter, you must be able to consciously block off all your missed putts or strokes. Learn to follow the example of Jack Nicklaus, who always chooses to remember his perfect putts, instead of his missed ones. Do not let the memory of missed putts haunt you with anxiety or frustration. Do not harbor any instructional thoughts from golf books, fellow golfers, or even your coach; just let your subconscious mind take over your putting strokes. Develop the mental discipline of shutting off any conscious thought from your mind. Instead, not only focus on the target, but also narrow down the target. In other words, train yourself to see not just the hole, but a narrower and smaller target, such as a blade of grass, or a tiny edge of the hole; in this way, your brain has a much better control of your body, in particular, your muscles and reflexes. Remember, perfect putting has to be spontaneous, and spontaneity controls the mind, and hence the response, but without striving to control the resulting action. This is the essence of mastering putting for golf success. A great putter is not born. Through practice and perseverance, you can improve your basic putting techniques. But putting is also an art and a mental game. This is where your confidence will play a pivotal part. Change your perceptions about your putting techniques. Start building a positive image about your putts; refrain from complaining your missed putts. Reinforce your positive image with visualization. Tap into the power of visualization. On every putt, try to "see" in your mind's eye, your golf ball going into the hole. Remember, seeing is believing. It is important that you believe that you can do it. In addition to having self-confidence in your putting, you need to develop good judgment, which requires sufficient data input. That is to say, you must have the facts in front of you before you can make any good judgment. To be a successful putter, you must be able to assess the conditions of the green: the contour of the green, and the speed of the green. Train your eyes to be more observant of the details around you, instead of spending time complaining and moaning about your missed putts. All in all, putting is simple, but difficult to master, because it is all in the mind. After all, golf is a mental game, simple to play but difficult to perfect. Copyright (c) 2010 Stephen Lau
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