Picture the putt: stuck on mechanics? A little imagination and a flexible setup will help you …

Golf Digest, Sept, 2002 by Peter Kostis, John Huggan

Here's a thought for you: There's a difference between putting the ball and making putts. People work too much on the mechanics of putting and not enough on making putts. Even on the PGA Tour, there are many good-looking strokes, but only a handful of great putters. I've observed that these great putters do only two things consistently, neither of which is mechanical:

1. They "see" themselves making the putt before they stroke it.

2. They do everything they can to reduce their heartbeat and tension level before they putt.

Sure, it's important to have decent technique, but it's more important to visualize the putt going in and to feel like you're going to make it. To do this, great putters treat every putt slightly differently. Most people try to set up exactly the same way for every putt--eyes over the ball, stance and ball position consistent--but the reality is, golf isn't played on a flat surface, and putts come in different lengths. That means you have to make adjustments for each putt, just as you do for shots elsewhere on the course--adjustments that create the confidence and feel needed to make the putt.

So try this in practice: Set up first with an invisible putter, as I'm doing here. Then adjust your setup and stance until you actually see the ball going in the hole and feel that you are going to make it from that position. That's your setup for that putt--and for that putt only!

Duplicate that setup with your putter in hand, then stroke it for real. You'll be surprised how good a putter you can be.

Long putts

Think `driver'

Think of stroking a long putt as you would hit a full-blooded driver. With a driver, the swing is more around, more flowing, with more motion. The arms are more "away" from the body. The same is true with long putts. Feel free, feel motion.

Short putts

Think `chip'

Facing a short putt is like facing a little chip shot with your wedge. The chipping motion is much shorter going back, with good acceleration in the forward motion. Your arms are hanging down and feel closer to your body. Likewise, your short putting stroke will feel shorter going back, more on line and longer going through.

Right to Left

Think ball above feet

A right-to-left putt works like a full-swing shot with the ball above your feet. You should stand taller--less bent at the hips--and a little farther from the ball, which will be positioned slightly back in your stance.

Left To Right

Think ball below feet

Think of a left-to-right breaking putt as being the same as a shot with the ball below your feet. For such a shot, you naturally bend over more at address, your stance a little open, with the ball much closer to you and slightly forward.