Just Tap It In?
(How the Wrong Golfing Messages Sabotage Your Short Game)
It’s the single most practiced skill in all of golf – the short game. Putting makes up almost half of your total strokes in a normal round. But the short game isn’t as straightforward as it seems – and “just sink this shot” is the kind of thinking that often leads to the exact opposite. Many of the latest golfing books continue to explore the relationship between your mind and the (what should be) simple movement of your putter. Some titles even frame strategies around a Taoist approach – building the foundations of a natural stroke instead of a forced one.
Here are three key tips based on an uncluttered mindset.
Let It, Don’t Make It
What to avoid: forcing the putt
The key term is effortlessness. Hard to say, even harder to achieve. But the main block is the need to control every single millimetre of your putting stroke; over-analyzing, over-attempting, and basically, trying too hard.
Instead, your focus should be on establishing a rhythm – like the steady swing of the pendulum. Don’t make an unnecessary effort to hit the ball… just let the putt happen.
Forget the Hole, Reframe Your Goal
What to avoid: targeting the hole, and more specifically, the result of sinking it
Remember that the putt rolls as it will – based on the slope, the speed, the texture of the course, and your stroke. It doesn’t roll based on your will to make it, your need to win the hole, and your desire to emerge victorious. That line of thinking leads to the fear of losing – and fear should never be a part of your game.
So what does this mean? It means accepting that this upcoming putt offers you something new, and that’s true whether or not you make it. If you don’t, use the opportunity to learn. Each and every time, then, you’ll either sink the putt… or you’ll figure out how to sink it.
Still As the Water, Settled As the Ripple
What to avoid: rushed strokes arising from nerves
Life is often too hurried. On the green, it’s easy to feel like the clock is forcing your hand… but you have more time than you think. Take a deep breath, and more importantly, pursue inner calm before you take your shot.
Focus on your feet, gravity pulling them towards the ground. Soften your shoulders, don’t tense up. Feel the green and envision the settled stillness of a lake’s surface. Imagine your stroke as the ripple on the water – and let it flow… don’t make it go.
Final Thoughts
The underlying thought is this: just practicing isn’t always the answer. True improvement comes from within. Once you’ve cemented this idea, you’ll be on course to vanquishing the ever-dreaded “yips” and sinking those vital putts more confidently. Work with the green. Don’t let it work you.
And as you look to overcome mental hurdles en route to a more relaxed, effortless putting game, your best move might be to read books that reduce putting to its simplest form: a basic exercise. From A to B? Just let it… be.
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