But one of the problems with all of this information is that it can clutter your thoughts and get you focusing on the wrong things. Information about golf and golf swings has dramatically increased over the last few years, but average handicaps have not improved. To putt better and this can also be applied to your swing as well, you need to focus solely on the task that you are facing and that task when you putt, is getting the ball into the hole, by hitting it along the correct target line and at the correct speed.

The first tip to help you improve your putting and get you putting better, would be to always read the green before you putt. To do this effectively, crouch down directly behind the golf ball and look at the putting surface between the ball and the green. Notice the slopes and imagine how these will affect the ball as it rolls along the green towards the hole. The task that you are preparing for with this, is to get the ball into the hole, so you need to work out how the ball will roll so that you know where to aim initially to allow the ball to move across the slopes and end up in the hole. To work on improving your green reading skills, simply place a ball on the green and crouch down behind it in line with the hole. Look at the surface of the green and decide how you think the ball will roll. Once you have decided, actually roll the ball from your hand and see if what you imagined would happen, happens. The more you practice this, the better you will get at it.

The second tip to follow would then be to pick the line to hit the ball along and aim the putter face down this line. All that matters when you putt is that you hit the ball along the target line and that you roll it at the required speed for it to drop into the hole. You must be focused on where the target line is to be able to be accurate when you putt. The tip to follow here, is to pick a mark on the green just a few feet or inches in front of the golf ball, that shows you where the target line is so that you can aim the putter face at it. Most really good putters visualize the target line in a really vivid color, such as red, so that it stands out to them from the green and helps them to picture exactly where it is. Practice seeing the target line from behind the ball, after you have read the green, as a bright red line. Make it as vibrant as you can so that it really stands out and attracts your attention. This will help you to aim the putter face directly along it and to hit your putts directly down it.

The final tip to focus on to become a better putter, is the speed that you need to roll the ball at to allow it to drop into the hole. If you strike the ball too slowly, it will not reach the hole. Strike it too hard and it will roll past, or hit the hole and roll over it. The correct speed is crucial. To work on distance control, try the following drill. Go to the practice green and place a ball at 7, 11, 15, 19 and 23 feet away from the hole. Place a club on the far side of the hole so that it is a putter length away from the hole and at a right angle to the target line, so that it creates a scoring area between the hole and the club.

Now play each putt towards the hole. If the ball goes into the hole you score a point but if it finishes between the hole and the club on the green, you also score a point. Work on scoring as many points as possible. Move to a different direction from the hole and place the balls, 9, 13, 17, 21 and 25 feet away from the hole. Play each putt again and score. Keep repeating this drill from different angles from the hole and your goal is to achieve 5 points.

These 3 tips will really help you to improve your putting, by getting you focused on the challenge that you face, that of getting the ball across the green and into the hole.