Let’s face it. Cutting strokes from your golf handicap is tough. If you have a high golf handicap, it’s a bit easier than if you have a low one. But it’s still hard to do. The key is to practice every phase of the game. If you don’t have time to do that, then work on your putting. It’s the fastest way to cut strokes from your handicap.  About forty percent of your strokes will be putts. So, improving your putting lowers your scores.

Of course, you’ll miss more putts than you make. We all do it—even the pros. You’ll need patience, diligence, and dedication to improve. That’s where practice comes in. Spend at least 10 to 15 minutes working on putting before you play and whenever you go to the range. The golf tips below can also help you drain more putts. Ingrain the ones that work for you and watch your handicap drop.

• Track putts from behind the ball — Assess putts from behind the ball— not from the side. That enables you to you track where you think the putt will go with your eyes. Look at the entire length of the putt. Do this for both short and long putts. If you have a breaking putt, track it from behind the apex of the break—not the ball. And don’t stare at your putterhead when making practice strokes. Look at the hole. Visualize the putt going in.

• Square the putterface — If you’re missing putts, you’re probably not squaring the putterface. One drill that will help is using a yardstick pointed at the hole. Align the putterface square on one side of the yardstick. The hit the edge of it as if the yardstick was a ball. Do it right and the yardstick moves straight toward the hole. Do it wrong and the yardstick moves to one side or the other. Keep practicing until you can do it correctly every time. Remember that feeling.

• Pick an intermediate target — Many great putters like to pick a target six to eight inches in front of the ball. Then use a line from there to dial in the hole. To practice this golf tip, stick two tees in the ground six to eight inches in front of a ball. Position the tees just wide enough for a ball to go through but in line with the hole. Now practice hitting the ball through the tees and into the hole until you can do it repeatedly. This golf drill sharpens your aim and your stroke.

• Develop an accelerating stroke — If you make a weak, hesitant stroke, you’ll probably miss the putt. To be a great putter, you must develop a confident, accelerating stroke that goes through the ball. To do that, place a ball 6 inches from the hole, then a ball 2, 3, 4, and 5 feet from the hole. Push the first ball into the hole with no backswing. Finish with your putterhead above the hole to indicate a square putterface. Work on finishing your putts from the other distances. If you miss one, start over.

• Work on reading the greens —One key to reading a putt correctly is to look at it from more than one angle. Most golfers will look at a putt from behind the putt and from one side or the others. If you have a breaking putt, look at the putt from behind the ball and from the apex of the break. That helps you see the length of the putt more clearly. It also helps you get a better feel for the break.  Watch for subtle breaks on short putts.

Here’s a bonus golf tip: Get your hands to work as one when putting. Doing that is easier if you grip the club lightly. In fact, you should grip it so lightly that even a child could take the putter from your hands. Also, use a square stance, which offers you the best view of the putt, and keep your eyes directly over the Ball. You should be able to turn your head and look directly down your desired line.

Practice these putting tips to see which tips work for you. Then ingrain the ones that help you become a better putter.  And remember, not every putt you miss is due to a faulty stroke. Your green reading skills might be off. So, work on that skill whenever you can. Draining more putts will chop strokes off both your scores and your golf handicap.

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