Putting is a unique skill that needs care and attention. I spent a great deal of time honing my putting stroke and as a result, I feel that I have developed a groove that works best for my game. I have tried many different techniques, grips, stances and putting motions. It was all a process and one that has led me to a point where I am very confident in my putting stroke. Unfortunately, I lose my touch now and again, but I have found a drill that helps to quickly restore my equilibrium. It is simple and repeatable, thus can quickly improve my feel and distance when things to awry.
This putting drill focuses on improving our senses when putting. Sometimes we rely too much on one sense and it overshadows the others. Putting is a rhythmic dance between our sense of feel, touch and sight. Unfortunately, when our vision becomes the dominant sense, we have a tendency to lose our feel and touch. All three senses working in unison, putting become easier. It really is important to use all three.
In my case, my past experiences teach me that my vision will dominate my putting. This causes me to miss read putts, but more importantly I lose my ability to hit my ball to a distance. This hurts my lag putting and sometimes turns a routine two putt into the dreaded three putt. To fix my woes, putting with my eyes closed helps right my ship:
Putting with my eyes closed was a challenge at first. I found that my stroke started to sway and hitting the center of the club face was a challenge. After several attempts, things tightened up and I was able to make solid consistent contact. After more practice, I gained back my touch and feel. This drill is a quick fix drill for me. I have put a great deal of time in practice to develop my putting stroke and using this drill helps me manage short game when things are not going as planned. Give it a try, it might be the drill you are looking for that will improve your putting efforts.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
I’m often watching golf instruction video’s while I’m putting. Keeping my eye’s on the screen instead of the ball does the same thing. It frees you up. When putting on the course, I keep the left eye (my target side eye) closed. I’m right eye dominant and I find that with the left eye closed, I get close to the same freeing motion and tend not to try and follow the ball as much as I might with both eyes open.
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Sounds like you already understand the benefit of this drill.
Cheers Jim
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I do but it’s not going to fix my particular woes on the greens. lol I’ve taken to carrying both putters and dropping the 3 iron from the bag in our skins games. The 3 iron never gets used on this course so that’s no loss and having both putters I can tell myself if the mallet isn’t working that the blade will. Sometimes that’s even true. lol
Tonight’s round we cut short at nine (it’s a weird nine 1-4, 14-18) because the back was closed from a downpour earlier in the day and more rain was on it’s way. We finished tied one skin apiece. Just two of us dared the weather. We matched each other hole for hole except on 17 when he took the first skin and 18 where I tied it up.
I had a first happen on 4. I’d hit my drive wide right. A little fader that ended up almost flag high but on the 14th tee box. Thankfully no one was on it. It left me a tough little shot which I thought I had hit artfully but found I was mistaken. There is a series of posts. Big, thick ones. Basically chopped down telephone poles. Now a bit rotted. One swallowed my ball after it skipped on a shell or something on the cart path I was aiming for to get a final kick over to the green (I was threading a needle height wise getting over some bushes and staying under some branches). The ball bounced left though instead of straight because of that shell. Straight to the pole. And the ball disappeared in it. Literally. I saw it go in. I heard it go in. And couldn’t find it. lol Some rotten wood in the ground stole my golf ball. Amazingly after taking a free drop I still got up and down for par and saved that skin.
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Kevin,
I hate it when by ball disappears in plain sight. But you story is a humorous one for sure. The golf course has its own idea about what should or should not happen sometimes. I wonder if the rotten wood will spit the ball out sometime soon?
Cheers Jim
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