How To Become Deadly Inside 4 Feet

“You drive for show, but putt for dough” – Everyone

We’ve all heard the aforementioned phrase used on the golf course, during live broadcasts, and when you’re needling your buddies at the 19^th hole after the round after you’ve just taken their money. Coming from experience, being able to sink short putts consistently and at a high percentage is vital to your sanity and your chances for playing good golf.

If you struggle with your make percentages on knee knockers, use these three tips to improve your success:

1. Take To The Practice Putting Green

Pick a hole out on the practice putting green and bring some tees. Set up a circle around the hole from 4-5 feet with at least six locations with your tees and putt a ball from each designated spot. Don’t leave the location until you’ve holed all six in a row. If you miss one, you have to start all over. Don’t accept 5 out of 6. Be stubborn. That one miss can mean the difference between 1^st and 2^nd place, or making an important cut.

2. Smooth & Even Tempo

Too many amateurs struggle with either a short back, quick through stroke or deceleration before impact. You want to visualize your stroke and ball rolling into the hole before you putt. Get in the habit with your pre-shot routine of mirroring your practice stroke to your actual stroke. A smooth, even tempo with the putter head going back and through the same distance will ensure better contact. Better contact means more putts on target and higher make percentage.

3. Be In The Right Mindset

We’ve all been there before. You’ve just come off a bad hole and need to make up for it, yet you left yourself this four-footer for par. Don’t let your pension for missing these putts all too often affect what you’re doing in this moment. Take a deep breath and make the best possible stroke you can. If you’re behind the ball reading the line and all you can think about is how you hate these putts, you’re going to be bad at them! Positive thoughts and clear focus can go a long way in being more consistent from inside four feet.

Quick Recap

1. Take to the practice putting green

2. Smooth, even tempo

3. Be in the right mindset

Check out these other golf tips:

Chris Wadwick

Chris Wadwick has been a Class “A” member of the PGA of America since 2011. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Business Administration. He brings a deep understanding of the inner workings of the golf business, especially club fittings, product knowledge, and visual merchandising, working for Dick’s Sporting Goods for over 7 years and Occoneechee Golf Club for more than three years, prior to that. When he is not in the office, you can always find him at a nearby golf course, attending games at his alma mater, or spending time with his wife and four dogs.