An Outrageous Suggestion About Putting

Startling as the thought may be, practice does not make you a good putter. What I mean is that you cannot become a good putter by going out on the practice green every day and hitting a hundred balls at the hole. Putting is strictly a matter of feel, touch and timing, and these are the only things you should work for on the putting green. When I practice my putting, I want to get to the point where I know what I am doing throughout my putting stroke. I want to make sure there is a fluid feeling between my hands and the actual putting stroke. I practice only until I achieve a constant rhythm, with the blade hitting the ball firmly and the ball coming squarely off the putter head. When I feel this rhythm six or seven times in a row, I quit. If you work at your putting past that point you will become mechanized and lose your sense of touch. So practice until you feel you are putting well, and then stop before you spoil your stroke.