Breaking 70

April 2007

At this level, it's all about fine-tuning and getting the most out of your scoring opportunities. The best way to drop a few strokes is to sharpen your putting. You need to lag those long breakers close, and convert the good shots from five feet and in for birdie. Here's how I work on my putting.

Lag it close

For long putts, I think mostly about speed, although I do pick a spot a few feet in front of me as an aiming point. But once I'm over the ball and confident about the line, I have only positive thoughts that I'll hit it so close I can just walk to the hole and tap it in. If I don't feel comfortable at any point, I'll start over.

Make the shorties

On short putts, my goal is to make a straight-back, straight-through stroke, keeping the putterhead low. Here Rafael is holding a club over the ball. I want the putterhead to stay under the shaft. Try it with a friend. All that's left is staying patient one extra second; never rush the short ones.

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