You’ve probably heard the advice that a beginning golfer should learn to play from the hole back to the tee. Even if you’ve been playing for years, it’s never too late to boost your entire game by shoring up your short putting.

Just as missing putts from inside 5 feet can have a negative impact beyond the greens, routinely draining everything from close range can start a domino effect that carries over to everything else. The reason: confidence.

Once you knock down that first domino – routinely making those simple putts – the rest begin falling in order. You’ll putt more aggressively from longer range, and sink a higher percentage. When your putting is sound, you won’t feel pressure to knock every chip, pitch or bunker shot stone dead; when you stop pressing, you’ll enjoy better results. With your short game in order, you’ll be freed up to fire at more flags from the fairway. It all funnels back to the tee, where that confidence will translate into a positive mentality and better results with the driver.

That’s not to suggest that becoming a proficient short putter will suddenly turn you into the next PGA Tour star. But it’s a great place to start. And the only way to consistently make those knee-knockers is with a stroke that accelerates through the ball.