By Debbie Clum
There are not too many sports – if any – where you turn your back to the target. Visualization is a very important part of golf for this reason. This demands a lot of trust, and good visualization helps that trust factor.
When putting, your goal is to get a ball that is an inch and a half into a four-and-a-quarter-inch hole. Accuracy and trust are vital.
How many times have you just hit the putt and hoped it was good? Instead, start by making a plan for the speed and distance of the putt, as well as the break it will incur. This plan might be right or wrong – it does not matter. The most important thing is that you have a solid plan!
Many golfers who are putting well say they actually see a line on the green that they want to putt over. That is great if you can do it, but what about those of us who just can’t see a line?
On the practice putting green, set up to the ball. Turn your head to the hole and picture in your mind the ball curving to the hole according to the plan and the distance of the putt. Look back at the ball. Do you see the picture? If not, look again. See it as a whole picture: ball, green, hole. Look until you have that picture solidly in your mind. Then, putt to the picture.
The more you practice, the better you will get. Take your time on the practice putting green to work on this visualization, but on the course, try to see this whole picture in one or two looks.
Somebody once said there are no bad three putts – only bad first putts. So get that good picture – trust it and putt to it.
Debbie Clum is the teaching professional at Mad River Golf Club.