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Improve Your Putting By Developing
Rock Solid Confidence On The Green
Jarrod Cash
All of us have missed a short putt before. It is frustrating
to miss something you know you can make! And most often a
missed short putt can cause a chain reaction of bad play.
Every golfer will have a tendency to remember a bad shot at
a certain hole when he next plays that hole. Think of any
short putt as a link on a chain that is a slack and being
pulled tight. As the chain tightens each link is influenced
by the one in front of it and influences the links behind
it. What you must learn to do is break this chain of bad reactions
by silencing that inner voice. This inner voice will tell
you all manner of ill-advised advice and you must build a
new chain based on memories of successful shots, not the failures
of previous ones.
Next time, as you approach the green for your putt, do not
speculate on what the condition or pace of the green is until
you actually get there. Wait until you can physically check
the conditions with your sight and touch. Here is where a
key principle is at work. As you are consciously checking
the grass and the line to the hole, your memory is subconsciously
at work, as well, accessing previous experiences with which
to compare this one. Much of the time, the images that are
being recalled are things that are best forgotten -Things
like whether or not you hooked your last putt on this green,
or pushed it on a prior hole. Indeed, I am certain that golfers
miss short putts purely because their memory, at the most
awkward time possible, reminds them of the countless other
short putts they have missed.
Thinking of missed or bad shots sets your mind and body into
motion to repeat that same missed shot. Instead close your
eyes for a moment and clear your mind of those memories. Visualize
yourself hitting the ball perfectly, feel the club in your
hand. Hear the ball hit the bottom of the cup. Then open your
eyes, ready yourself and remember how you just saw yourself
in your mind, and make the shot.
After the shot is sunk in the hole, take a moment and remember
the putt, how you made it, make a vivid impression in your
mind. This training will become a link in the chain, and it
will influence the next link (putt). When you are on the next
green, recall the putt you made, and then repeat the visualization
of sinking this next putt. Thus, a strong 'chain' is built
- a successful chain. When you do miss short putts from time
to time, even though it is important to learn why you missed
so you can correct it, do not think of that missed put on
the next green. Dismiss it from your mind and follow the above
steps. Soon you will notice a dramatic change in your short
game as well as your overall confidence.
(c) 2005 BlackCash Enterprises, LLC All Rights Reserved
Jarrod Cash and Michael Black have created
"Psychology of Golf: The Complete Study Course"
available at http://www.LostGolfSecrets.com
Are You Too Busy Practicing Your Swing to Improve Your
Game? Stop playing golf the hard way!
Article Source: www.articlesaz.com
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