The game of golf is simply about getting a small ball into a small hole in as few shots as possible. As unfair as it may seem, your score card doesn’t care whether you hit a magnificent 300 yard drive to the green followed by a 3 putt or take 3 poor shots to the reach the green followed by one putt! A good golfer is a good scorer – and a good scorer is a good putter. The green is the place where tournaments are won or lost and as such where golf psychology makes the biggest difference. As you use your putter more than twice as often as any other club it’s time to master the golf psychology of putting.

These are my top 10 mental golf tips to help you love using your putter and love your scores.

1. From the moment you step onto the green, focus only on the ball going into the hole. Remind yourself of the golf psychology you use to make great putts. What does it feel like? What do you focus on? Take this confidence into each putt

2. Take enough time to read the line
   1. Notice the edges of the greens first – which is higher, left/right, front/back?
   2. Where is the nearest body of water? (slopes often flow towards water)
   3. Imagine you are rolling a jack to the hole during a game of bowls
   4. Imagine the ball coming out of the hole and coming back to you

3. Once you have read the line, ALWAYS commit to a decision 100% on the line and pace BEFORE entering into your pre-shot routine. If you find yourself changing your mind over your putt, start again.

4. Play EVERY putt as a straight putt. This means once you have read the amount of break, aim your putter, feet and body to a specific point right or left of the hole – pick a specific blade of grass to aim at

5. Pick an intermediate target (eg a different coloured blade of grass) between you and the hole that you can putt over

6. For your planned putt, imagine where the ball will enter the hole and notice it hitting the back of the cup. (Putts have the best chance of going in if you aim to hit the ball 17 inches past the hole.)

7. Over the putt, enter the Playing State (see my blog on “Silence your mind for Single Minded Putting”). Keep the hole either in the corner of your eye or the corner of your mind’s eye. This will keep you calm and present to the putt and detach you from the outcome.

8. See and FEEL your connection with the line of the putt before you play it. The more intensely you FEEL your alignment with your target line, the less feelings will be spare for uncertainty and worries about consequences

9. Putt with rhythm and feel. Imagine the club is merely an extension of your arms and the putter head your hand, stroking the ball into the hole

10. Develop a consistent pre-shot routine (see my blog on “Putting Pre-Shot Routine”) to make your focus consistent under pressure

You do not need to use all of these 10 top mental golf tips to develop a fantastic golf psychology. But if you did, imagine how satisfying it would be to add up your scores at the end of the round and notice how much you have won by! As always, I’m wanting to hear your own experiences and opinions to further refine these mental golf tips. Also, to receive free audio tipcasts on the mental game, sign up for my free newsletter now.

Love every putt!

Adam

Mental Golf Coach