Links Lessons
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By George Connor, PGA
here is no one aspect of the game that is
more vital to scoring well than putting. For the
average player, almost half the shots taken
during a round will come on the putting green. Too few
golfers practice the art of putting, instead heading to
the driving range to pound drivers in an endless quest
for more distance.
Analyzing where your strengths and weaknesses
lie will allow you to most productively use your practice
time. It is easy and fun in the short term to “practice”
what you are good at. In the long term however, this approach will not go very far toward
improving your overall putting performance. When practicing any aspect of golf, I encourage
you to remember three important aspects that must be present:
1) There must be accurate feedback during practice. In the full swing this might be as
simple as the ball flying a certain way. Ideally there is some tangible measure of what the
club is doing or what the body is doing during the swing. In the short game, and especially
when putting, the feedback within the drills can be anything from did the ball roll on line?
How far did it travel? Did it go in the hole?
2) Practice sessions must be fun and engaging. They must keep your attention if they are
going to be productive. Using games and drills are the perfect way to do this. Because you
will be repeating the same drills on different occasions you may find this approach has you
excited to improve on your best score or performance during a particular drill.
3) You should be more confident after a practice session than you were before it. Remember
that parts of each practice session should address your weaknesses. When working on these
areas, use drills or parameters that you feel you can achieve. Over time, slowly make the drills
harder to match your improving skill set. I don’t want anyone to attempt during a practice
session what they have no chance of achieving. Make your practice sessions challenging but
not impossible. If they are the latter practice is neither fun nor good for your confidence. If
you get beat up emotionally doing a particular drill, balance that off with doing another drill
that will make you feel better about one of your abilities.
George Connor has been teaching and coaching golfers of
all abilities since 1989. He is a two-time Connecticut PGA
Teacher of the Year and his student’s include Division 1 College
Players, Professional Players, State Amateur Champions, Club
Champions as well as beginners and intermediate players.
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Connecticut State Golf Association