⛳️ Start more putts online!

It’s Thursday and that means you’ve got 3 things coming,

⛳️ One Golf Tip on Putting
🧠 One Quote on Developing Skills
🔥 Something extra (a thank you!)

We’re next up on the tee, let’s go!

ONE TIP
Do you know if your putt started online?

I ask this question to many golfers. When a player encounters putting difficulties, the first place I look is their speed control, a topic I covered in a previous email (Click here to check out that email). If their speed control is good, they say they struggle to read greens.

In response, I ask if they know if their putts start online. While some players say yes, after a few questions, usually they say they are unsure about there start lines. In many cases, the ball doesn't start on the intended line. When your ball doesn't start online, it becomes challenging to accurately gauge your skill in reading greens.

This week, our focus will be on ensuring our ball starts online!
You can check out the video I have on the topic below,

Using our eyes to guide us:
An excellent opportunity for many golfers is to actively engage their eyes when determining the starting line for their putts. I often observe players standing behind the ball, gazing at the hole, or intently focusing on their putter during rehearsal strokes. However, I believe that a heightened focus on precisely where we aim to start our putts can be beneficial.

When a player tells me they think a putt breaks about a cup, my response is that this assessment lacks specificity. That same individual will often be quite critical if their putt misses by just a couple of inches. I think we should pick the smallest, most precise target possible to maximize our chances of starting the ball online. I firmly believe that a smaller target minimizes room for error compared to a larger one.

We’ve got our spot now aim there!
Another key opportunity to improve your start line is to know where your putter is aimed. Going back to the previous example, when our target isn't precise, it becomes challenging to accurately align the putter head where we want our golf ball to start. For many players who struggle with the start line, the problem often lies in the alignment of their putter head during setup.

Let’s leave technique out of it (hear me out!)
I know many players like to watch their putter head during their rehearsal strokes, making sure their putter path is on a good plane and heading in the right direction. If this is something you actively do and you're struggling to start your ball online, I believe it's time to shift your focus. Instead of watching your putter head during rehearsal strokes, spend more time looking at where you want the ball to start, the path the ball will travel, and the ball going into the hole. This shift towards visualization and using your eyes to pay greater attention to your desired ball path can be a valuable experiment to help you begin the ball online. Often, the stroke in rehearsal isn't quite the same as when there's an actual golf ball on the green.

So let’s summarize:

1) Use your eyes differently
2) Spend more time aiming the putter head
3) Leave the technique out of it!

🎙️ Have you checked out my Podcast? Find it here
This week I interviewed a Caddy from Whistling Straights!

ONE QUOTE
Three keys to developing skills

Three keys to developing skills:
- Understand and believe in your method
- Know how to train to master your method and develop essential skills
- Feel and think like a champion so you can trust your method and skills

I got this quote from James Sieckmann, a short-game coach who has worked with numerous PGA Tour winners. For many golfers looking this make changes to the golf swing I love this message. Understand, believe, know, feel, and think!

ONE SIDE NOTES

It's now November, and many of us have experienced some rather cold weather in the last week or so. As a result, a lot of my content and videos will shift indoors, with tips throughout the winter geared more toward helping us keep our golf game sharp during the off-season. If there's a specific topic you'd like me to cover in the coming weeks, please reply to this email and let me know what it is.

THIS WEEK’S SOMETHING EXTRA
A Stocking Stuffer Idea

This week in the latest episode of the Golf Never Sleeps Podcast I interview Mark Milatz. Mark is a caddy at one of the best resorts in the world and the host venue for the 2021 Ryder Cup, Whistling Straights!

Mark recently released his book “Caddie Tales: A Looper’s Search for lost golf balls and what he found instead”

Mark has a very unique story and I was very fortunate to receive an advance copy of his book. If you are looking for a Christmas Gift idea, his book is $20, and I think it’s a good read! Click Here to check out his book on Amazon