Of course, the real objective of the game of golf is to get the ball into the cup. One can drive well and even approach well and as important as these two elements are to the game, they are nothing if one cannot get the ball into its desired destination.

A number of different methods can provide the power necessary to achieve a putting stroke; however, that does not mean that all of them are equally effective. The best style capable of producing the power necessary emanates from the body. After you have learned to use your body correctly, your hands will naturally fall into a line which will provide you with a natural direction to guide and control the club. This combination of using the body for power along with the hands for control will produce drives which are long and straight as well as accurate iron shots and resounding fairway woods.

Let us stop and examine this for a moment. If you are able to achieve control and accuracy with the technique at a range of 200 or more yards, does it not make sense that this same technique will provide even more control and greater accuracy at a range that is ten feet or less?

The same requirements of direction and distance are necessary on every putt. If you are able to achieve that with same control on long shots, then it only makes sense that you should be able to apply the same technique and style to your short shots.

In reality, the objecting in putting is the exact same objective in any other shot. That is distance plus direction.

Perhaps the most important key to putting is the ability to gauge the speed of the green. Generally a putt will not be driven off the line. Most frequently trouble arises when the putt falls short by six feet and then the golfer is forced to overshoot the cup by a few feet on the next stroke.

If you use the routine which we have previous established, this should not occur as it established the body control necessary to achieve the putting stroke.
Before moving on, it is important to note that in order to avoid any tension in the hands which would destroy this necessary control it is important to make sure your little finger is not resting on the club. This was pointed out earlier, however, we will go into it in more detail here.

The smallest finger should never be resting on the club. This creates too much tension. Instead, take the little finger off the club and curl it under. This position will bring the hands close together and form a leverage action that will produce the desired body action.

Side hill putts

Keep in mind on side hill putts that the ball will travel straight for the first portion of the putt and then drift on the slope as the speed of the ball begins to die down. It is important to discern at which point the ball will begin to break and then aim for that point and allow the ball to float inward from that point. By learning to putt for that breaking point you can see a tremendous improvement.

Avoiding hooking short putts

In most instances when a short putt is missed it winds up on the left side of the cup. This is because the player is invariably holding his body still. As the hands move past the body there is a natural tendency for the hands to turn and actually roll the putter to the left.

In order to combat this problem, it is necessary to learn to pull the club across the line of the putt from the outside inward. One must draw the club across the ball as if you are attempting to produce a slice; effectively cutting across the ball. This will actually keep the putter square to the line of the shot. Begin by applying this to short two foot putts and then gradually apply it on longer puts. You will be surprised at how square the putter blade will remain.