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In my recent rounds of golf, there has been a significant difference in the amount of strokes I’ve taken on the golf surface – resulting in lower scores overall.
While each player wants to hit the ball more consistently with the driver, it is the batter who can shave off strikes quickly. When you have proper distance control you will let your second tweezers closer to the hole. It really is that simple.
What is not so simple is understanding how to bury those short putts, as many amateurs lose focus or simply miss putts a few feet from the hole.
Just how important are those three-foot strikes? The PGA Tour average for making it is 99.4%, which means professional players make their money from within that short range – and Brian Mogg’s 100 Best Golf Instructors has handy coaching to help you do the same.
Try this short exercise to lower your score
As the video above shows, Mogg says burying more short strokes can simply lead to retraining your hands.
“[Here’s a] Really good exercises for retraining your hand so it knows what to do on its own, and then joins together,” says Moog.
While there’s not necessarily a quick fix in golf—it takes repetition to get something feeling and comfortable—the putting drills Mogg demonstrates are about as close to the ones out there.
Start by getting your line up and setting it up over the ball as you normally would.
Then, holding your racket with just your right hand, swing the racket back and hit the ball as if both hands were on the handle.
Now switch to your left hand only, and make the same swinging motion described above, hitting the ball toward the cup.
Finally, place both hands on the paddle and hit the ball with confidence, using the same fist pressure as you did with each arm individually. You should feel the same with both hands on the paddle, which will give you a more consistent stroke.
By doing this short drill, you’ll begin to sink those crucial putts from 3 feet in, which will lower your score and build your confidence on every hole. So give it a try next time you’re on the training green!