Sinking More Pressure Putts:

You often hear people during golf lessons say: You drive for show, but you putt for dough. This old saying emphasizes the importance of putting. And it’s dead on. About 30 percent of your strokes during a round are putts. Many are from 10 feet in. These are pressure putts. They’re the kinds of putts you must make every time, if you want to record a low golf handicap. Here are five golf tips on how to sink more of these putts.

Tip #1: Train And Trust
Poor putting from 10 feet in isn’t always due to a bad stroke. Sometimes, it’s due to a lack of concentration. Two keys to making more pressure putts is (1) thinking positively and (2) focusing one swing thought. Don’t think about what happens if you miss the putt. Think about how to make the putt. In addition, pool all random thoughts into a single decisive thought before making the putting.

You can practice both tips by adhering to what experts call the “train and trust” principle. Practice often enough to train yourself to make a repeating stroke. If you do that, you’ll learn to trust your stroke. Then, when you have a 10-foot putt, you’ll be free to concentrate on the target rather than worry about hitting the ball squarely. It works for PGA pros, like Davis Love III. It will work for you.

Tip #2: Lighten Your Grip
Some athletic principles apply to all sports. One is that tension interferes with fluidity, causing you to miss short putts. In other words, tight muscles reduce speed and feel. Many great putters fear what tension does to their performance. So they compensate. They make it a point to hold the club loosely when facing pressure putts. A light grip pressure with your arms relaxed at address and throughout the swing frees you from all tensions. That lets you release the club freely with full extension. You’re less likely to push or pull the putt.

Tip #3 Keep Your Head Still
Keeping your head still is a must when under pressure. Many golf instruction sessions and written golf tips stress this point. That’s because it’s tried and true. Keeping your head still keeps the putter on path throughout the stroke. Weekend golfers often move their heads on short putts so they can see if the putt goes in. Sometimes, they peek too soon. Focus on the back of the ball until contact. Then, keep looking at that spot until after you count two. Listen for the ball to go in. This golf tip keeps your head locked in place until well after the stroke is made.

Tip #4: Lock Your Legs
If you move while putting, you’ll miss the putt. Stay still to sink pressure putts. A key to staying still is keeping your legs locked. They stabilize your lower body during the stroke. To feel this, take your normal putting stance. Then wedge a rubber ball between your knees. Squeeze the ball a little to keep it tight, creating a solid foundation. Now hit putts. This exercise develops the feeling of stability essential for a consistent stroke under pressure. Remember the feeling when making pressure putts.

Tip # 5: Use “The Quiet Eye” Technique
The secret to good putting, says Dr. Joan Vickers, a researcher at the University of Calgary, is using your eyes to detect the right information about distance and direction. Then using your mind to relay the information to the rest of your body. The Quiet Eye, as Dr. Vickers calls it, may help explain what being “in the Zone” is. Her research suggests that The Quiet Eye is the difference between average putters and great putters.

A Quiet Eye routine has the following characteristics:

* Pick a specific location on the hole.
* “See” the ball go in the hole at that spot.
* Scan from the hole to the ball calmly.
* Fixate on a spot on the back of the ball.
* Remain fixated on that spot through contact.

A Quiet Eye routine isn’t taught in many golf lessons on putting. But it works for many golfers. When combined with the other article tips, it will help you sink more pressures putts. That in turn will cut strokes from your scores and your golf handicap. You may not be able to drive for show. But you can always learn to putt for dough.

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book “How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros.” He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.

Treat Golfer’s Elbow Now

An injury can do more than just balloon your golf handicap. It can permanently derail your game. Golfers elbow (medial epicondylitis) is among the most common—and annoying—injuries in the game. It not only causes pain in your elbow, but also produces a shooting sensation down your forearm when gripping objects. Rest and ice is usually the initial treatment. Changing your mechanics by either taking a golf lesson or using new golf tip also helps. But sometimes surgery is the only solution.

Golfer’s elbow is a form of tendonitis. Its cause is overuse. Tendons at the end of your muscles attach to bone. The insertions points of the tendon on the bone are often pointed prominences. Inflammation at these points, caused by overusing the elbow, produces the pain you feel with this injury. The main difference between golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is the pain’s location. The pain from tennis elbow’s pain is more on the outside of the elbow than the inside.

The Mechanism Varies

What triggers golfer’s elbow varies. It ranges from a single violent action to repetitive injuries where an action is performed repeatedly, like swinging a golf club or a tennis racquet. Often, golfer’s elbow appears at the start of the season. But it also occurs during the season when the repeated action increases in duration or intensity. In addition, golfer’s elbow comes from work-related injuries, like hammering nails. In that case, swinging a golf club only makes the injury worse or prevents it from healing.

The initial treatment for golfer’s elbow is rest, ice applications after using the elbow, and anti-inflammatory medicines, like Advil or Motrin. Ibuprofen also helps. These medications control the pain and reduce swelling. But use them carefully if you have stomach or kidney problems. If these measures fail, a cortisone injection is an option. If you get two cortisone injections with no relief, a third probably won’t help. In extreme cases surgery is an option to remove the inflamed tissue. But this is rare.

Build Up Your Muscles

Once you’re pain free, build up the muscles around the inside of your elbow. Use wrist and forearm exercises and stretching. Avoid exercise and stretching if you still have pain, though. They just inflame the tendons more, causing more pain. Also, try wearing a forearm brace like that used by tennis players and baseball players. It redistributes the jarring force from impact to different area away from the inflamed tissue.

Another option that keeps you playing is teeing the ball up on every shot—even from the fairway. You might have to adjust your golf handicap to make this option acceptable to your playing partners. But it decreases the force of impact, minimizes pain in the elbow, and lets you enjoy the game.

Change Your Swing Mechanics

You may also want to change your swing mechanics. See a local pro who uses a video cam. Have him check your mechanics. Or, have a friend whose judgment you trust watch you swing. If your mechanics are off, take some golf lessons or read some golf tips and correcting them. Also check your clubs and grips. Both must be right for you. Otherwise, you’ll still have problems.

Golfers elbow is serious business. It not only creates bad shots that increase your golf handicap, but also produces intense pain. Rest, ice, and medication usually help. When the pain subsides, exercises and stretching can prevent a recurrence. Also check your mechanics. If they’re off, attend golf instruction sessions or read golf tips to correct them. If the pain persists, see your doctor. It’s better to stop playing for a season, than injure yourself permanently and never play again.

Jack Moorehouse who is the author of the best-selling book “How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros.” He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.