Putt Your Way to a Lower Score
Golf is a game that requires skill, mental discipline, the desire to have fun, and a little luck. The purpose of this article is to focus on a key skill - Putting Percentage - that will allow you to better your game, have more fun, and more importantly knock a few strokes off your total score. You don't have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to improve; you just need to understand where your game needs improvement and how to improve it.
I believe the trouble most bogey golfers have is that they over prepare their swing, their setup, their delivery, their "mental game" and not spend enough time on having fun and the improving specific areas of their game. We all spend countless hours working on our swing, chip, and putt at the driving range yet how many of us know how to apply what we've learned on the course?
Putts Per Round
While it may sound like a simple and obvious skill, sinking the ball in less putts is a way to significantly improve your overall game. How many times have you had a great drive, amazing approach shot, then "poof"; all is lost on your short game....you add 3 more strokes on the green?
For a point of reference, at the time of writing this article, the top 5 PGA TOUR pro's averaged 27.50 putts per round. The TOUR average was 29.30. That is less than 2 putts/strokes per hole on the green.
How can I lower my Putts/Round - Set Goals
During your next round, keep track of the putts by writing the number of putts on your scorecard next to the hole played. Divide the total number of putts by the total number of holes played to obtain putts/hole. Use these figures to set a baseline putts/round/hole goal.
For example, during a recent 18 hole round you had 48 putts. You then have 2.6 putts per hole and 48 putts per round. Use these numbers as your initial goal. Keep this goal until you have consistently achieved or beaten it over several (3-5) rounds. At that time, you are ready to set a new goal.
Before you know it, you will be on your way to a lower score. Only one or two less putts per round, leads to an immediate improvement in your scores.
Jonathan Prentiss writes articles about golf and how to better your game. Articles focus on strategies to help apply what you practice, give you specific skills to practice, and how to identify goals that will help better your game. To learn more about how you can better your game, calculate your handicap, receive additional instruction, and learn how to keep track of the statistics discussed please visit us online or on your iphone at http://www.pasturepool.com
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Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
Added: April 2, 2008
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