How to Putt a Golf Ball

Have you ever heard that the most important part of golf happens within 25 yards of the pin? That's crazy right? Believe it or not 40% of a golf game takes place on the green. But don't worry I am going to teach you how to putt a golf ball in ten simple steps.

In order to learn how to win at that game of miniature golf or to be one step closer to winning your next golf round, you are going to need: a putter, a few golf balls, and a place to practice.

An important note to remember is that there are right handed and left handed golf clubs.

Putting might be one of the easier things to practice in golf; however, you can't practice without a putter and a golf ball. The first step is to find a putter and a golf ball, whether that's pulling it out of your bag or borrowing it from your dad or a friend.

Remember putters can look a little different so try to find the club that has the largest grip on the handle and one flat side.

After you have searched through your golf bag for your putter and a golf ball you will need a place to practice. You can go to a driving range and practice on the practice green, buy a practice putting mat and practice in your basement, or you can even practice on your carpet inside, as long as your parents don't mind of course.

There can be many obstacles on golf course greens. Leaves can pile up on the greens or divots can be left from other golfers. It is important to try and remove or fix any of these problems so they won't mess up the speed or path of your ball after you putt it. To fix a divot take a tee out of your bag and stick it around the outside of the divot gently pushing the grass inwards fixing the hole.

One of my most crucial parts of putting a golf ball is understanding where you need to hit the ball. Golf courses are designed to be challenging and the greens are no exception. Before you putt your ball take a few steps back and crouch down so you have a better view of which way the green will curve. Take your time and analyze if the ball will curve left or right on its way to the hole. To master this step takes time and experience so don't be discouraged if you misread which way your ball will break on the green.

This step is the same concept of step number four. Hole placements at most courses change frequently to create a challenge for golfers. Not to mention each green on every hole of the course is designed to be difficult. On some holes you will be putting uphill or downhill, other holes you could be putting your ball on a flat green. It is important to survey if the hole is downhill, uphill, or level because this will determine how hard you should hit your golf ball. If the green trends downhill then you won't want to hit your ball as hard as you would if the hole was uphill. Determining where to hit the ball is the hardest part of the game because it is entirely up to you and your judgement.

After you have surveyed the green you are going to want to set yourself up to hit your putt. Take about one step away from your ball. If you are right handed you will want to be on the left side of your ball and if you are left handed you will want to be on the right. You are going to want to hold the golf club on the grip with your thumbs pointed down and your left hand closet to you. Next spread your feet apart a little less then shoulder length and put your putter in the middle of your stance around three inches away from your body. You want your knees to have a little bit of a bend to them so they aren't completely locked up. This part is mostly about being comfortable when putting and can vary based on how it feels for you.

Now take a few steps away from your ball and repeat step six. You are going to want to take a few practice putts next to the ball envisioning where you want the ball to go. You do not need to kill the ball and should be gentle when putting as to not damage the green. However, you want to make sure to hit the ball hard enough so it makes it to the hole. It is all about finding some sort of balance and should be one swift motion. These practice swings will help you gauge your speed and how hard you need to hit the ball.

Set up to your ball and make sure the little line in the center of your putter is aiming where you want to go. Combine everything you have learned so far and hit your ball. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't go in right away even pro golfers struggle with putting sometimes.

Assuming you didn't make the golf ball into the hole you are going to want to finish out. So you are going to take a step back, survey the green, decide where you want to hit the ball and how hard. Next, depending on how close you are to the hole you might might to pull the flag out and set it off to the side. Then you are going to line yourself up, take a few practice swings, scoot up to the golf ball, and finally hit the golf ball again. The thing about golf is that you get as many chances as you need to make the golf ball into the hole. So take your time, don't beat yourself up, and remember that its just a game in the grand scheme of things it isn't that important.

Now that you have learned how to putt you can put your skills to good use. Like everything in life if you want to become better at putting you have to work at it. From googling drills to going miniature golfing there many different ways to practice your putting skills.

Golf can be a frustrating game. As you continue in your golf career you will have great days, bad days, and many days in between. Just remember to keep working at it and even though it doesn't look like it you will get better. A positive mind set can really go a long way. You will find that you will not only get better at the game but golf will also teach you many important lessons like how to accept the uncontrollable, patience, strategy, focus, problem solving, and to never give up. After a long day on the course or many months of hard work you not only walk away a better player but as a fantastic well-rounded person.