One of golf's best short-game coaches explains why you're missing so many putts

Last year, we asked short-game guru James Sieckmann to share some of his most treasured secrets for every shot around the greens. The advice was so good, and so well received, we had to go back for a little more.

Sieckmann, a Golf Digest 50 Best Teacher who has coached countless tour pros on greenside play, decided to focus his latest tip for you on putting. It's the one area of golf where you can compete with the game's best players from a physicality standpoint, so better putting all comes down to having the right approach mentally.

Here's his advice:

"The most common complaint I get from good players at my academy is, 'I don’t make enough putts from 8-to-20 feet. Most claim to putt very well when they're in close, so their stroke must be functional. They also say they're skillful at controlling distance but nothing seems to go in on these mid-range putts. What gives?

"I call these length putts 'difference makers.' Success with them is about matching line and speed, and if you want to be great at that skill, it starts with an organized way to build a great image of the putt you are facing.

"Unfortunately, most players get the first step wrong by standing behind their ball and choosing a start line. They see two points—the ball and a projected line left or right of the cup. The problem is, using only two points does not necessitate a specific speed. Unless you get lucky and guess the pace right, you will miss."

Use this four-step process instead to hole more putts, Sieckmann says.

1. Find the entry point

Stand on the opposite side of the cup from your putt and picture the entry point of the ball as it would roll into the hole (the front door, so to speak). In the photo (above), I put down two sleeves of golf balls around a hole to illustrate a gateway I'm trying to get the ball to roll through on its way to the bottom of the cup.

2. Look from the mid-point

On your walk back to the ball, stop at the mid-point between it and the hole and look to see if you're facing an uphill or downhill putt.

3. Visualize the 'action track'

Keeping the entry point (front door) in mind, go back to your ball but visualize an "action track" of the ball on its intended journey to the hole.

4. Pick your start line

Pick your start line, but instead of projecting a line or target out by the cup, choose something within a few feet of your ball to roll over or roll past to the left or right. Your start line is the "near target" and your entry point into the hole is the "far target," Sieckmann says.

"This image of the near target and far target requires one exact speed," he says. "And if held adequately, it will govern your subconscious and allow you to react athletically put the right pace on the ball allowing you to hole more of the these difference-maker putts."