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The following blog post is excerpted from the book “Good
to Great Golf: Shatter Your Lowest Round with Absolute Mental Focus.”
Formerly one of the best putters on the PGA tour, Brad
Faxon has a success formula that has served him well. He once led the tour in putting average, 3 out of 6 years. His best putting
tips are listed below. These keys to great putting will help golfers who ask themselves, “why do I struggle with putting?”
Step 1) “Don't be afraid to miss. It's the fear factor. Worrying gets you into trouble and ties you up
in knots. You develop the yips by being afraid of missing. Don't think too much about it. Look at the line and trust your first
instinct. You can't be a good putter with too much conscious thought.”
Step 2) “You need a good stroke and a good attitude. Attitude is the most important. If I'm not in the
right frame of mind, I don't putt well.”
Step 3) “You need a consistent physical routine. That makes you more confident. I prefer if my body
moves a little bit. Staying perfectly still cripples me.”
Step 4) “Like any other sport, being great requires practice and believing in yourself. I wasn't always a good
putter. When I practice, I think about what it takes to become a great putter. It frustrates me when people say I'm a natural and don't
have to practice.” This a a great practice putting tip.
How do I practice putting? Here are more specific examples of Faxon’s success formula golfers can copy to improve.
• “Before I start a round, I take a pen and draw a line on the ball about an inch and a half long. That line faces the
direction I'm going to putt. I put the ball down with the line pointing toward the highest point in the break.”
• “On every green, I check out the wind, the break, whether the putt is uphill or downhill, and if the green is firm or soft. I
don't take a lot of time doing all that. I pick out a line and know where I am going to aim.”
• “I take a final look from behind the ball. I step up and visualize the putt and get set. I square the putter to the
ball at address. Sometimes I take a practice stroke. Other times, not. I look at the hole once, then twice. Once I look
back at the ball the second time, the shot starts. I don't allow anything to creep into my head.”
• “The toe of the putter is open a little coming back. It closes, then opens a little bit on follow through. The toe
flows. That's why I prefer a heel-shafted putter. The stroke should be the same every time you putt. The longer the putt, the
longer the stroke.”
For dozens more super practical, easy to implement improvement strategies for high school golfers, check out the book “Good
to Great Golf.”
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