Day 26: Don't forget about me! I'm your putter!

During the round when you are within 100 yards, you need to pick a club and remember the appropriate swing for that particular yardage with that specific club and leave it as close to the hole as possible (or in the hole). Not only do you need to remember, but actually perform it.

My pal and I were talking today and he thought that it was important to vary each shot during wedge practice from 50, 75, 100 and 125 yards - every shot a different yardage with the same club to really get the feel of what swing is needed for each yardage. I think he is right. I think that is very important and when I hit balls tomorrow I will incorporate both rhythm, timing and tempo (the 5th Element) with my wedge at all of those yardages. I think his rationale can also be applied to putting.

So tonight I went over to the Penmar putting green to practice my putting.

During my round on Sunday, I used the putting stroke that I practiced all during my time in China.

In that round, I made some nice putts and I also left a few short that were on line but I did not give it enough juice. All that aside, I needed to practice more on an actual green as it rolls a little differently than on a carpeted hallway in a hotel room.

There was only 1 other guy on the big putting green, so I was able to set up camp with 3 balls and take the putting green pin out. I have come to really dislike putting into that pin in the hole on the practice green.

I rolled putts for about 40 minutes from lengths between 3 feet and 20 feet.

I tossed all 3 balls together in a similar direction after picking them up out of the cup. I would putt from wherever the balls landed - trying to get the necessary touch at the various lengths. I found that I over-read the breaks (leaving the ball on the high side) as I focused more on making solid contact with the ball. The added speed took a lot of break out of the putt.

After my 45 minutes, I felt good about most things putter. However, I realize the need for practicing your putting ad nauseum. If I was a professional golfer, I think I would putt for at least 15~20 minutes every day - perhaps begin and end every day with about a 10-minute session. I am not sure you can ever get too good at anything, let alone your putting. Tonight, I felt that my rhythm was pretty good. I accelerated through the putt - which made me realize that I did not have to bring the putter back as far. The farther I bring my putter back, the higher the propensity I have to push or pull the putt. My shoulders became more involved in the putting stroke when I focused both on my rhythm and accelerating through the putt.

I think on days that I don't hit balls, I will take up a 60-minute practice session that focuses on:
1) 5 minutes of warming-up/stretching
2) 10 minutes of putting
3) 20 minutes of bunker practice
4) 20 minutes of chipping practice
5) 5 minutes of putting to close it out

That sounds like a good practice to me. And because I need more help with this part of my game, I should be doing this practice on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - I will then hit balls on Tuesdays and Thursdays. and play a round on either Saturday or Sunday. That sounds like a good strategy - I think it's a plan.