Cure The Golfer’S Worst Nightmare – The Three-Putt

Golf can be a frustrating game for many golfers, this may be down to a poor spell or perhaps just starting to play the game or it could just be a day where bad luck on the course seems to follow you around. As you progress at the sport though you develop a good feel for which clubs to use, how much power is needed and soon you’ll start to see your scorecards looking better.

One area though that not only frustrates the amateur golfers out there but even the professionals in major tournaments is putting. Putting is the pressure laden end to a hole or if it’s the 18th hole, the end to a game. Games are won and lost on putting and it can be most heartbreaking if the ball stops just millimetres away from the hole. This is where practicing and using specific drills can help you avoid the dreaded ‘three putt’ situation. Normally a good golfer should aim for a maximum of two putts depending on how close their pitch onto the green has put them.

Three normally implies you’ve hit the ball close to the hole on the first putt, the second has not gone in and you’ve got a likely short putt to finish the hole, on most holes this will likely leave you one or two over par, scraping by with par at best. If you want to start bringing your golf scores and your handicap down then you need to start looking at cutting down on the number of putts it takes for you to finish a hole.

Most putting can be based on your mental ability as well as your physical skill and so clearing your mind of distractions can help you focus on the putt and should leave you in a good state to make the putt. In general unless you are putting down hill you should be visualising the cup being a foot behind the actual cup, this is because generally golfers can under-hit their shots either due to wind, leaves on the green or just the lie of the green. Hitting the ball slightly harder will go past these interferences and drop in to the cup.

One of the most important drills is to practice putting on your local putting green or using one of the many training aids you can use at home. Practice hitting the ball on different angles and slants to know how much of an angle you will need to loop the ball into the hole. With practice you’ll gain the knowledge and skill to hit the ball at the right angle, with the right amount of power into the hole and hopefully cut down on those three putts!

Golf Insurance is vital for all golfers to protect them for liability issues as well as their equipment from loss or theft. If you’re playing abroad then consider a golf travel insurance policy too.