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Putt with Imagination
 "I never missed a putt in my mind." Jack Nicklaus
What Jack means is that he always has a picture of the putt rolling all the way into the hole before he sets up to make his stroke. The best preparation for putting is to have an image that is as complete and precise as possible. Imagine the ball rolling the full distance to the hole. See in your mind’s eye the way it will change speed and direction, all the way to the exact point on the edge of the hole where the ball will fall in.
Read for Speed
Reading a putt on a sloping green, you might ask your caddie or your playing partner, "How much do you think it will break?" It may surprise you, but however many inches or feet they answer, they will be wrong! There's only one correct answer: "It all depends on how fast you’re going to roll it." The faster the ball is traveling, the less effect gravity will have on it - in other words, the less it will break.
How do you choose whether to stroke a putt gently and play for the maximum break, or to stroke it firmly and play for the minimum break? A good way to decide is by considering the risk factor. The more severe the slope, the more you should choose to play for maximum break. This reduces the risk of going far past the hole if your putt misses. On a less severe slope (and especially if the putt is uphill), you can make a firmer stroke and play for less break. This reduces the risk of spike marks or other imperfections in the green deflecting the putt as it slows down, and reduces the risk of leaving the putt short.
Plan the Putt Backwards
First get a sense of the overall slope of the green by surveying the surrounding terrain and determining the high and low areas of the green. Remember, greens tend to slope away from nearby mountains and toward nearby water (like the ocean or a lake). Next, decide on the speed you plan to roll the ball, as we discussed above. Now you're ready to read the putt. The best way to read a putt is to start at the hole.
Examine the area three feet or so around the hole. See the direction from which a ball would roll straight into the hole, and the exact spot that it would fall over the lip. Then work backward from there to your ball, imagining the path your ball will need to travel to enter the hole at the spot you picked. (Keep in mind that it will be going fastest at the start, so it will break least at the beginning and most at the end of the putt.) You may be surprised to discover how much break you're planning to play. Most golfers play for much less break than they need to, which is why most putts are missed below the hole.
Images for Putting
The best image to have in mind to help you stroke your putt with the correct speed is an image of how the ball will enter the hole. On an uphill putt, imagine the ball diving into the hole, striking the bottom of the back wall. This gives your body the message to stroke the ball firmly, without you needing to think, "Hit it hard." On a downhill putt, imagine the ball just trickling over the front edge. This gives your body the message that you can stroke the ball without the hesitation that comes from the fear of the ball going far past the hole.
When you putt with imagination, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how many putts roll into the hole, exactly the way you imagined!
Other Articles by Dr. Parent
- Accentuate the Positive
- Beware of Trying
- Putt with Imagination
- Patience Pays
- Confidence in Mind and Body
- Be Decisive
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