You're Correct!

Regarded as one of the greatest putters of all time and one of the best putting coaches, Dave Stockton has transformed the fortunes of some of the best golfers on the planet.

After his Masters meltdown back in 2010, Rory McIlroy sought the help of Dave Stockton and you can see that in his pre-putt routine, he has adopted many of the principles of Dave Stocktons coaching and the results are there for all to see. If you add a little of this routine to your putting, youre sure to become a better putter.

Firstly, you need to visualize the line of the putt, from how much break to the speed you see it rolling in at. Next you need to see the break from behind the ball so crouch down directly on a line to your target. Once you have the direction of the break, youll start to form a picture in your mind of the correct line.

You need to connect the line you have picked with the speed you will need. Most of you will do this by taking practise putts away from the line but with Dave Stocktons routine, you should walk up to the ball while looking down the line, hold your putter in your left hand (if your right hande and make some small "feel" strokes with your right. Step in to your set up with your right foot and continue to track your eyes down the line.

Stay concentrated on your target by setting your left foot slightly open to help you see the line better. Place the putter head in front of the ball. This will help you to pick out a spot two inches in front of your ball as this is where you will be focused, not on the ball. Take one last look at the hole, then look back to the spot you picked two inches in front of the ball and try to roll your ball over that spot.

The standard thought when it comes to a pre-putt routine is to take a few practise strokes, almost like a dress rehearsal of the stroke you want to make. The routine Dave Stockton teaches removes the practise strokes to enable you to fully focus on your feel without taking your eyes off the line of the putt.

The most noticeable thing about the Dave Stockton routine is that there is no real focus concentrated at the hole. The focus is all on keeping your eyes on the aim line, and then to get a feel for the speed. There is only a little look at the hole before focusing on the spot in front of the ball.

Slowing down at any point is not good for the rhythm of your putting stroke, and when the pressure starts to build, it becomes even more important to keep your pace the same as it was on the first hole. Dave Stocktons routine helps you approach each putt in the same way at the same speed no matter how much pressure builds.