How often have you been frustratingly close to sinking a putt only to come up short?
Or maybe you have only just missed the hole to see your ball go sailing past adding too much distance for the return putt.
A lot of games have been lost on the putting green and in most instances it has been due to the wrong distance, rather than the direction of the ball.
Most beginners quickly get a feel for the direction the ball will travel, even on sloping greens.
You've probably seen it yourself when a newcomer to the game places the ball within inches of the hole on a sloping green time and time again.
What you won't see quite so often is the ball stopping a few inches past the hole when they miss.
There are many factors that come into account when determining the distance a ball will travel on the green, from the slope, to the preparation of the green and whether it is wet and slow or dry and fast.
It can make a huge difference depending on the time of the day with greens getting faster as they dry off in the afternoon sun.
So reading the distance of a putt is what you really need to concentrate on to get your ball to drop in that hole.
Once again it all comes back to practice and there is no better practice than on the day of the tournament in the conditions that you will be playing in.
Always take some time to have a few practice putts before you start play to 'dial in' your distance.
One thing you must always remember; the golf ball will never drop if it doesn't reach the hole.
Sounds too obvious to even need mentioning doesn't it, but more often that not putts will come up short.
Always aim for the back of the cup so that, provided you have your direction right, you are going to have a chance of making the putt.
Do Warm Balls Travel Further?
It is a fact that a warm golf ball will travel further than a cold ball all things else being equal.
The reason for this is the fact that the added heat affects the compression of the ball.
It is hard to say how much heat would be needed to gain extra length and the gain in distance would be relatively minimal anyway.
Having said that, golf is all about making gains, no matter how big or small in as many areas as possible.
There are some golf pros who prefer to carry their golf balls in their pocket as this helps to retain heat in the ball, so whether it helps mentally or actually enhances the actual distance they get, it is going to benefit them at the end of the day.
If you are playing in particularly cold conditions the ball will lose it's heat quite fast so you will only get the benefit of the first shot in all likelihood.
Once again, even if you can make one gain in one area of your play on each hole, that can add up to a lot of good when the score card is tallied after a round.
You can always heat the balls before a tournament but you had better be sure that you don't damage the inner core while doing so or you will be doing more harm than good.
With the mental part of golf being such an important part of the game, having your golf balls warm might just be the edge you need to give you the confidence to pay better.
If that is the situation, then the benefits will be far more than any increase in distance you might possibly get.
You could always practice with a few balls having heated some of them and the others at normal temperature.
If you notice a difference then you should run with it.
The reason for this is the fact that the added heat affects the compression of the ball.
It is hard to say how much heat would be needed to gain extra length and the gain in distance would be relatively minimal anyway.
Having said that, golf is all about making gains, no matter how big or small in as many areas as possible.
There are some golf pros who prefer to carry their golf balls in their pocket as this helps to retain heat in the ball, so whether it helps mentally or actually enhances the actual distance they get, it is going to benefit them at the end of the day.
If you are playing in particularly cold conditions the ball will lose it's heat quite fast so you will only get the benefit of the first shot in all likelihood.
Once again, even if you can make one gain in one area of your play on each hole, that can add up to a lot of good when the score card is tallied after a round.
You can always heat the balls before a tournament but you had better be sure that you don't damage the inner core while doing so or you will be doing more harm than good.
With the mental part of golf being such an important part of the game, having your golf balls warm might just be the edge you need to give you the confidence to pay better.
If that is the situation, then the benefits will be far more than any increase in distance you might possibly get.
You could always practice with a few balls having heated some of them and the others at normal temperature.
If you notice a difference then you should run with it.
Retrain Your Mental Approach to the Game
Making changes to your mental approach can see you take control of your game and slash your score faster than you might imagine.
In most professional sports, psychologists are an integral part of the coaching team and golf is quite possibly the sport that can benefit from mind power more than any other.
It is more than just self-doubt and negative thought that you need to eliminate from your game.
You need to focus purely on the shot you are about to play.
There should be no thoughts about the last hole or the next hole.
You shouldn't be focusing on the water hole.
How many times have you hit the ball into the water knowing that the ball would never have landed there if it were grass?
It is almost as if we will it into the water sometimes.
This happens when you are so focused on the water that you can't play the shot, as you should.
This can be likened to a learner driver in a car when they are having their first lessons and find that they are veering towards cars that are driving beside them simply because they are so focused on those cars rather than where they are going.
If you believe you are going to slice the ball you are bound to do so.
If that bunker is constantly on your mind you can be sure that the next shot you play will be from the sand.
You need to train yourself to play one shot at a time and only give thought to that one shot.
Nothing else matters - Not what your competition is doing or what your score is at that stage of the game.
Thinking about a bad score will only make matters worse.
No matter how bad the round might be there are still opportunities to make the most of the remaining holes and that's all that matters.
In most professional sports, psychologists are an integral part of the coaching team and golf is quite possibly the sport that can benefit from mind power more than any other.
It is more than just self-doubt and negative thought that you need to eliminate from your game.
You need to focus purely on the shot you are about to play.
There should be no thoughts about the last hole or the next hole.
You shouldn't be focusing on the water hole.
How many times have you hit the ball into the water knowing that the ball would never have landed there if it were grass?
It is almost as if we will it into the water sometimes.
This happens when you are so focused on the water that you can't play the shot, as you should.
This can be likened to a learner driver in a car when they are having their first lessons and find that they are veering towards cars that are driving beside them simply because they are so focused on those cars rather than where they are going.
If you believe you are going to slice the ball you are bound to do so.
If that bunker is constantly on your mind you can be sure that the next shot you play will be from the sand.
You need to train yourself to play one shot at a time and only give thought to that one shot.
Nothing else matters - Not what your competition is doing or what your score is at that stage of the game.
Thinking about a bad score will only make matters worse.
No matter how bad the round might be there are still opportunities to make the most of the remaining holes and that's all that matters.
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