In this discussion on the importance of hitting your putts on the sweet spot, there are a few techniques we would like to mention.

• Pay careful attention on long putts. When you have to hit a putt all the way across a big green, you are going to need to make a pretty long stroke. As a result, it is going to be considerably more difficult to strike the ball on the sweet spot. To give yourself the best possible chance, it is important to pay attention to the fundamentals. Keep your body as still as possible, keep your eyes on the ball, and swing all the way through impact an into the follow through. Minor mistakes are magnified when you are putting from long range, so you really can’t afford to do anything wrong. Of course, it would be helpful to practice this kind of putt from time to time, so look for a long open stretch on the practice green to work on this important skill.
• Try different putters. If you think your stroke is in good condition and you still can’t seem to find the sweet spot very often, consider testing out a few different putter models. It may be that you simply need to switch things up in order to get your performance on track. With a new putter in your hands – perhaps one with different weighting than your current model – you may find that the sweet spot suddenly finds its way to the back of the ball more often than not.
• Don’t be too careful. After all this talk about hitting the sweet spot on your putter, you might be tempted to make a careful and cautious stroke, guiding the club into the ball. Not surprisingly, this isn’t going to work. You’ll never have very good touch when you guide the putter through impact, so just make a flowing stroke and do your best. This is the same way you need to think when hitting full shots with your woods or irons. It is always tempting to guide the club toward the ball, as that feels like the safest way to play the game. Unfortunately, you don’t gain any control by swinging or putting this way, and your overall performance will be harmed in the end. Trust your technique, believe in yourself, and swing all of your clubs through the ball with complete confidence.

Finding the sweet spot on your putter when you make contact with the ball is a valuable putting skill. In fact, there are few skills on the greens quite as valuable as the ability to make great contact. If you can put this piece of the puzzle in place, you should start to make more putts – and your scores should fall. We hope the advice provided in this article will help you strike the best putts of your golfing life. It might not be quite as fun to work on your putting as it is to work on your driver swing, but the rewards are more impressive. Good luck!