If you want to improve putting skills then you need techniques and methods to practice to master the “game within a game”. You may be the straightest driver, the most skilful pitcher or the best bunker player, but if your putting is letting you down then all the effort you put into getting on the green means nothing. You need to master this part of the game and this article gives you three tips to help improve putting.

1)  When practising to improve putting try closing your eyes. This may seem a strange thing to do, but when you’re not using your sense of sight you’ll become much more aware of how your body moves. You’ll feel how your shoulders sway and your torso twists. Try it and when you open your eyes again you may be surprised at how much your putting has improved.

2)  One of the most effective all-round exercises to improve putting is the “Around The Clock” method where you place a number of balls in a circle around the hole. Start at about three or four feet out and work around the clock, tapping each putt firmly toward the hole. After you have putted around the clock from this distance, move back a couple of feet farther and go through the same procedure. This practice method not only teaches you to judge distances to the hole properly, but aids you in lining up the shot correctly each time. It also gives you confidence in your ability to hole the short putts that are so vital to shooting lower scores.

3)  Putting merely involves the rolling of a ball across a putting surface. One of the best ways to learn how to roll the ball effectively is to drop several balls on the putting green or putting  mat and practice hitting them solidly without paying particular attention to where they are going. By doing this, you develop a feel for stroking the ball in a smooth, rhythmic manner because you aren’t trying to make the putt. After a few minutes, begin hitting the ball toward a target hole about 30 or 40 feet away. You will be surprised how solidly your contact with the ball is after this little exercise.

There are of course many more strategies and tips which will help improve putting skills, but putting the above methods into practice will certainly help you to sink more putts. You need to take action though and practice your putting regularly. Do this and your scores will begin to lower dramatically.