==================================================== Newsletter - Issue 153 Date 10/29/10 ==================================================== ==================================================== TCT Quick Tips - Short Putts ==================================================== I was playing recently and I had a short putt to make. I mentioned to one of my opponents that I really hated this particular putt, a 3 foot downhill slider - which I happened to make. I said that I was so unused to competition that it felt like a tournament level putt, meaning that I felt some pressure. He said that he felt like that on every three footer lately, a feeling that we all experience at one point or another in our golf life. This tip will help. The voices of the putting demons in your head get louder on short putts. Don't let them get to you. Go through your routine the same way on the three footers as the twenty footers. Cut your routine short, and anxiety will contribute to a poor stroke. Take your time and go through your usual routine - every putt is important. Enjoy, Tom ==================================================== Golf Tip: Your Eyes When Putting ==================================================== The position of your eyes when putting is a fairly critical element of good putting. They should be positioned directly over the center of the ball, in line with the aimline for your putt. This will allow you to put a good stroke on the ball, with the putterface square to your aimline at impact and beyond. If your putts consistently miss on the same side of the hole, look for your eye positioning to be the problem. If you position your eyes too much inside the ball - towards your body - you'll most likely stroke the putt with an inside to outside stroke, and push your putt outside of your aimline. You might need to crouch more or get closer to the ball. If you position your eyes too far past the center of the ball - away from your body - you'll most likely stroke the putt with an outside to inside stroke, and pull the putt inside of your aimline. You might need to stand taller or move away from the ball. Here are two simple ways to check your eye position: 1) Take your normal putting stance. Using one of those 48 inch fiberglass driveway marker rods that I've mentioned before (Lowes $1.98) , hold it next to your rear eye and see where it's pointing. Make stance or posture adjustments as necessary. 2) Take your normal putting stance. Hold a golf ball next to your rear eye and let it drop. It should fall right on the top of the ball in your stance, if it doesn't, make stance or posture adjustments as necessary. Once you've got your stance and posture down, practice it for 100 repetitions to start to own it. Then practice it regularly to really own it. Enjoy, Tom