Making 3 Foot Putts
You have a 3 foot putt. It's fairly straight. You need it to win the tournament and bring home the cash. What is going through your mind at this point?
Be Positive When Putting
Most amateur golfers will have a negative thought. “Don't miss this left.” Or “Don't hit it too far past the cup.” Or “Don't lose this tournament.”
The first thing you need to learn about consistently making putts is to be positive. You see, your subconscious mind does not process negatives. When you say “don't miss it left”, your mind hears “miss it left” and you lose the tournament.
To give you an example, close your eyes. When you’re ready, don't think of a pink elephant. If your mind thought of a pink elephant, then you understand this concept.
The Set Up
So how should you go about making this 3 foot putt? First of all, you must analyze the putt. Read the green and get comfortable with the break in the putt. Understand the speed of the putt. I like to pick a spot on the green that’s before the hole and focus on that spot as my target.
Visualize the Putt
Now, stand behind the ball and visualize the putt. Notice the speed and the break as you visualize and watch it go in the hole. Imagine that you make the putt. The subconscious mind reacts to what you imagine. As childish as it sounds, if you can imagine the putt going in, it will go in.
When visualization is over, set up to the ball and have only one swing thought before you make the putt. Maybe some practice swings or tell yourself to be sure to accelerate through the putt. Maybe you need to focus on keeping your head down or following through. These are mechanical aspects of the putt that will be different for everyone.
Eliminate Negative Thoughts Before the Putt
As you follow this process over and over, you will find you will make more putts. You must have the confidence that you will make the putt. If, while you’re standing over the ball, you have any negative thoughts, you must move away from the ball and set up again. Your mind must be clear and have only one positive swing thought when it comes time to strike the ball
Golf Putting Mechanics
Sure there are a lot of mechanics involved with putting. That is why you should enlist the help of a golf professional. But, even if you have the best golf professional showing you how to putt, you must be mentally prepared to execute the putt properly.
Proper Mindset to Putt
You need to have the proper mindset to be a good putter. The pros practice over and over again which is a major factor in their ability to putt consistently well. You probably do not have the time to have that much repetition so you need to enlist the power of your subconscious mind. A more powerful way to train your subconscious mind to make putts is to see a sports hypnotist like myself to help you train your mind to consistently make putts.