Are you missing easy putts you normally drain? Every golfer goes through a Putting slump now and then. That’s to be expected. After all, we’re all human, and golf is a tough game to master. But if you’ve been missing three and four footers for a while, you need to do something about it. Missing short putts can cost you strokes big time. It also makes it hard to break 80 and packs unnecessary strokes onto your golf handicap.
One thing you could do to get back on track with your putting is to change your putting Routine. Pre-shot routines prepare you physically and mentally to hit a shot. They’re valuable tools that many weekend golfers ignore. In fact, the lack of a consistent pre-shot routine is one of the biggest weaknesses among weekend golfers. Changing your pre-shot routine can help you reset your putting game and take it to the next level.
A good pre-shot routine to copy is Aaron Baddeley’s run-and-gun routine. He’s been a good putter throughout his career, and his putting routine is one of the reasons. The advantage of his routine is that it leaves little time for negative thoughts. You walk into the Ball, take one final glance at the hole, then bang it in. Simple as that.
Below are three golf tips on using Aaron Baddeley’s pre-shot putting routine:
- See the line — Aaron’s first step after reading the putt and deciding on the break is to see the line in his head. He then takes three practice strokes while standing perpendicular to the hole on an extension of the putt’s starting line. Usually, he’s about three to four paces behind the hole. On the first two strokes, he traces the line with his eyes. Then on the last stroke, he visualizes the ball running on the line and dropping into the hole.
- Walk the line — After seeing the line, Baddeley then walks into the putt on the same line as he wants the ball to start on. For instance, if the ball is going to break from left to right, he wants to approach the ball on the same line, so he walks diagonally to his left. This move helps him set his body square to the putting line.
- Putt the ball — Once Baddeley reaches his ball, he sets his putter down behind the ball, then takes one last look at the hole to make sure his club is perpendicular to the starting line. As soon as his eyes return to the ball, he pulls the trigger. He doesn’t hesitate, and he doesn’t think about the shot. If he’s made a good read, the next sound he hears is his ball falling into the cup.
Baddeley’s putting routine has a lot of good things about it. But the key is that it doesn’t leave any time for negative thoughts, as we said above. Below are two good putting drills to help you perfect Baddeley’s pre-shot putting routine.
The Circle Golf Drill
Take ten balls from your bag and spread them in a circle 3 feet from the cup. Now start putting. Keep track of how many you make.When you make 8 out of 10, move to the next level—4 feet—and start over again. Take the balls and create a circle around the hole 4 feet out. If you miss, start over again. When you make 8 out of 10, move to the next level—5 feet. And so on. Use Baddeley’s pre-shot routine on each putt.
The Golf Box Putting Drill
Start by drawing a 3-foot square box around a hole. Then set 5 balls down at each point from 5, 10, 15, and 20 feet from the hole. Now putt each ball toward the whole. Your goal is to make each ball land within the box. Start over if you miss the box with a putt. Repeat until all the balls are within the box. Use Baddeley’s pre-shot routine on each putt.
These two putting drills will help you ingrain our golf tips on Aaron Baddeley’s pre-shot putting routine. Once ingrained, the routine will become second nature to you. Then you won’t even think about it when putting. Changing your putting routine will reset your putting game and help you sink more of those three-foot and four-foot putts you’ve been missing lately. Sinking more of these putts will help you break 80 and chop strokes off your golf handicap
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