You Don't Know, "My (golfing) thought for today." Putting

Putting

The lie of the century is, “Practice Makes Perfect.” You can practice night and day incorrectly and you'll never be perfect. You should, then, obey the five P's.

Perfect Practice Produces Perfect Performance

It is also known that one has to perform a task 3,000 times for it to become fluid and natural. Those 3,000 times, though, must follow the 5 Ps. 

Putting regimen:

  1. Place six balls, six inches from and around the hole, putt each one into the hole and repeat five times. If you miss at any time during the 36 stroke cycle you have to start at the beginning and continue until all 36 putts are made--with no misses. Why six inches? Because all putting strokes should be strong enough to travel up to six inches beyond the hole. If the ball is online then it will go in.  If it doesn't then you won't miss the next putt. Once you've accomplished this then go to #2.
    Note:  If you're only a few inches from the cup, then, obviously you'll only putt to within an inch beyond the cup.
  1. Place five balls, 12 inches from and around the hole, putt them in and repeat four more times. If you miss any putt, then you start over.
  1. Place four balls 24 inches from and around the hole, putting them in and repeat three more times. If you miss any putt, then you start over.
  2. Place three balls 36 inches from and around the hole, putting them in and repeat two more times. If you miss any putt, then you start over.

Whenever you miss a putt during play from any one of these distances, you must practice from that distance and continue through the sequence, i.e., if you miss a 12-inch putt you must practice #2, #3, & #4. (You don't have to do it all on the same day).

(This post does not pertain to those who never practice and are satisfied to break 100 . . . occasionally.)