Learning how to improve your putting stroke is worth the risk – to achieve putting excellence.

It has been quite a week in the National Basketball Association.  The Los Angeles Lakers started the season 1-4 and fired their head coach.  Is that the ultimate hoped-for "quick-fix" solution or what?  Only time will tell.

Perhaps there are parallels to golfers and their putting.  Often if the ball does not go into the hole enough, they blame it on their present putter.  They then do a "self-fit" to get another putter, most likely experience some initial success, but then go back to achieving results they do not like.

 

The long-term fix to putting woes – to achieve long-term and lasting putting excellence – most likely includes these elements:

 1.  Being custom fit for a putter that truly produces good aim and speed control results;

 2.  Learning what your actual Putting Stroke Mechanics are – both the Good and the Not-So-Good Elements;

 3.  Developing a well-thought-out process for making Changes to your Putting Stroke that will improve performance;

 4.  Practicing the changes and making habits out of these changes; and

 5.  Trusting the changes once you have made them habit – Letting Go.

 

My contention is that all of this is the way to go – and is not easy for many players to do – no matter what the anticipated results.  Here are some of the reasons I believe this:

 1.  It takes courage – when you have just purchased a putter – to accept that it really does not fit you and that you are hurting your game using it;

 2.  It takes courage – when you think that you are putting "pretty well" – to do things like find out how you Really aim your putter, and what your putting stroke Really looks like;

 3.  It takes courage to commit to a process for making changes to your putting stroke – what happens if they do not "take" and you do not improve?:

 4.  It takes courage to – when you believe you have made your new stroke a habit – truly let go and use the new stroke when you are playing, particularly when something is "on the line."

 

The good news is that it is probably easier for most golfers to change and improve their putting strokes than it is for them to improve their full-swing mechanics.  It is also good news that the results that can occur from improved putting typically far outweigh other game improvements.

 

Still though – there is much to admire about anyone who is willing to take the risk to truly improve his/her putting!

 

How about you? – can you share any success stories about how you have made major improvements to your putting?

 

The Fit Is IT!!

Tony