Gary Nicol’s Winter Putting Training: Part 2
As the season and year draw to a close, now is the perfect time to sit down and reflect on your golf game.
Grab a notepad and pen and write down a few questions.
The first and perhaps most important question could or perhaps should be: “Why do I play golf?”
Take a few minutes to contemplate that and avoid the impulse to write down the first thing that springs to mind. You may have one or two reasons, you may have five or six. Whatever they are, write them down and stay true to them in the future.
Other questions might include some of the following:
“Do I enjoy playing golf?”
“Does golf satisfy me?”
“Can I hit the shots I want or need to on the golf course?”
“Do I understand the questions the golf course architect or designer is asking me on any given hole?”
“Is it possible I could hole more putts?”
That last question is one of my favourites and one I strongly recommend everyone who plays golf should ask themselves.
Is it possible? Unless you average 18 putts a round every time you play, the answer absolutely has to be a resounding yes!
That being the case, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to buy a new putter because your existing one “doesn’t work”? That may or may not be the answer but regardless how much you spend on a new putter, there are no guarantees. It will not get the ball in the hole on its own.
Ultimately you need to learn how to use it. You need to learn how to get the ball in the hole from a variety of distances and a variety of positions, not only on the practice putting green but also on the golf course.
Like many golfers I know, you may have a garage or cupboard full of training aids and gadgets, which may or may not be helpful but you have to ask yourself if they work. Think about all the times you may have used them on the putting green. You might have holed five or six nasty little four foot putts on the putting green using your training aid but did that translate to similar results in competitions or even in bounce games? Only you will know the answer to that particular question.
With more than thirty years of experience coaching golfers of all standards from beginners to Tour Pros, I would suggest that the majority of these training aids spend most of their time gathering dust in the garage or cupboard for a reason. I’ll let you figure that one out on your own.
If you really want to experience more success and enjoyment on the greens every time you practice or play, I suggest you do all or at least some of the following:
Speak to a golf coach you can believe in and trust. Someone you know has helped others. Someone you can embark on a journey of discovery and improvement with.
Spend some time on the putting green with exactly what you are allowed to take on the course – a putter and a ball. Not two, three or four balls, just one. There are no second serves when it comes to putting.
Learn the art of getting the ball into the hole when it matters. The only way you can do this is by playing golf on the course. Nothing will ever come close to replicating this skill on the practice putting green. Context is everything.
Standing over each and every putt, ask yourself two questions:
1) Is it possible I could hole this putt?
2) What does the ball need to do to go in the hole?
I’m not going to spoil it for you but what I will say is that these two questions could transform your future putting experiences.
As one year runs out of days, another exciting one awaits.
Is it possible that 2022 could provide you with opportunities to hole more putts, shoot lower scores and have more fun on the course? Absolutely!
To kick-start your journey of discovery, improvement and enjoyment, treat yourself to a copy of The Lost Art Of Putting. Judging by the feedback we continue to receive from golfers of all standards all around the world, it might just be the smartest investment you could make.
Happy New Year and best wishes for the future.
Did you miss part 1 of Gary’s Winter Putting Training? Click here to read.
