When it comes to improving your golf game, putting is, perhaps, the most important factor to consider. While it’s the least complicated of all golf shots, it’s the one that causes golfers the most frustration. Learning how to be consistent with your putts takes time and practice. For the average golfer, buying new clubs with the idea that they will lead to a big improvement in their game, is more often the exception rather than the rule.
Buying a new putter often turns out to be a short-term fix when it comes to improving your golf game. Rather than investing in an expensive putter with the hopes of improving your game, why not try investing in your golf game first?
You can purchase the best putter in the world, but, for most amateur golfers in the mid-range of handicaps, poor putting is usually a combination of several problems, and not simply the result of the putter you’re using for your short game. Some of the more likely causes for your putting woes could be a combination of the following:
- Poor setup at address:
- Badly fitting putter
- Poor level of skill
- Lack of practice
Invest in yourself before you invest in new clubs
There’s no doubt that golf club technology has had a huge impact on the game of golf over the past two decades, most notably in the newest golf clubs. Modern technology has made putters more balanced so that golfers have more of an opportunity to keep their putts on target. Professional club fitters can help golfers find the right putter by performing a computer analysis on their swing
However, purchasing the best putter in the world can’t make up for a lack of skills. Consistent putting requires mastering the fundamentals that are the building blocks of having a good short game:
- Setting up correctly at the address
- Aiming the putter face correctly
- Squaring the putter face at impact
- Learning how to read the greens
- Good distance control
Putting is quite possibly the most repeated stroke in any given round of golf. Taking the time to practice and perfect the basics as well as developing a strategy to improve your technique can help you shave strokes off your score. And, remember -- getting a good approach on the green is as important, if not more important, than making a good stroke.
The game is won or lost on the green
Short game instruction doesn’t require hours of dedication each and every week. By putting aside 10-15 minutes a few times each week, you’ll start to get in the hole more often and putting for the win.
Before buying a new putter, take some short game lessons with a knowledgeable teacher, and practice what you’ve learned. At Calabasas Country Club, the goal of the dedicated teaching staff of our short game schools is to help you reach your putting goals. Call today to learn more about becoming a club member and making use of all of the great practice facilities that come with it.