The CSGA Links Volume 6 Issue 2 May, 2018 | Page 22

INSTRUCTION
Links Lessons
By George Connor, PGA
On Short Putts Make the Hole Huge
Y

our eyes will play tricks on you.

On the putting green you may have been certain that the terrain would cause the ball to
curve in one direction then hit the putt and watch the ball curve in the opposite direction. When
you are having a great day putting the hole looks huge. You feel that you could roll a basketball into
the hole.

On other days however, the hole seems to shrink. The pressure of the match or missing a
few putts can cause your eyes to see the hole as the size of a thimble. The poor visual leads to a lack
of confidence. The lack of confidence causes a poor
stroke and another missed putt.

Uh oh! Now the hole shrunk again.

But sometimes misperception can be a good
thing. So before your perception of the hole starts this
vicious cycle, let’s create a good positive image on the
practice green before the round. Put a ball on both
sides of the hole. We are not trying to shrink the hole,
we just want to make it look smaller. Now start hitting
putts into the hole.

After you’ve hit a few putts from each side of the
cup, re-place the balls at the edge of the hole so that you
can hit putts from the two remaining directions, essentially moving them each 90 degrees from
their original spots. This is especially helpful if there’s a slight break around the hole and will give
you confidence that you’ll sink these short putts no matter which direction the putt is curving.

After watching putts go in from three, four and five feet take the balls away from the side of
the hole. Hit a few more putts from three feet and observe how the hole looks as big as a basketball
hoop!

Get a good visual of the hole before each round this year. You will be more confident, make
better strokes and hole more putts.
22 | CSGA Links // May 2018
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