I sometimes am asked what putting distance I struggle with the most. This is a legit question and many amateurs, as I did, seem to find 4 to 6 feet the most challenging. Have you ever wondered why this relatively short distance is the most challenging. I have some thoughts on this and a sure fire way to stop worrying about these knee knocker putts.

First, we need to examine why this relatively short distance is a challenge for most amateurs. I my opinion, amateur players tend to think too much over these putts. They clutter their six inches of real estate between their ears with too many swing thoughts. This is almost paralyzing for them as they try to navigate all the ‘what to do’ aspects of the putt. It is interesting that as they try to figure out what to do, the forget to actually do what is proper to sink the putt.

Second, they mentally start to think of all the things that can go wrong with this putt. Hitting it too hard, too soft, pulling or pushing the putt and focusing on the score if they miss. All of these negative thoughts impact the success of each putt and for many, negative thoughts is all they have.

Lastly, as they stand over their putt, they take way too much time on the execution phase. If you have used your pre-shot routine properly, setting up and hitting the putt should take no time at all. The reason I say this is that all the thinking was completed before you stand over the putt, hence just hit the putt and move on.

Let me pose a scenario. You missed your 5 foot putt to the right. Out of frustration, you pull the ball back to the original spot and quickly hit the putt without thinking. As the putt drops, you glibly say “I should have done that in the first place”. The success of the second putt was not the quality of the stroke, but the release of your mental anxiety of hitting a five foot putt. You were not thinking of the putt, just using your already established mechanics to hit a successful putt.

The above scenario outlines my sure fire way to sinking more of these putts. Basically, I recommend you speed up your routine, slightly, to prevent your mind from paralyzing your putting stroke. There is a fine line between rushing and playing at a speed that supports your skillsets. Most amateurs think themselves into failure by overthinking how to make these putts. To help you move quicker, next time you are on the putting green, only use your dominate hand to putt. Place a ball down, align the putter face to your chosen line, and putt away. Do not think about anything other than aligning your putter face. You will be surprised at how successful this simple drill will be to your overall game.

Putting from 4 to 6 feet can be a challenge. If you think less and rely on your putting stroke more, then your chances of improving your short game greatly improve. Of course you will need to practice, but that is always the case when trying to improve you score.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!