A bridge to better putting

Putting should be so easy. You’re rolling a ball 20 or 30 feet, even two feet, and yet you struggle. The problem likely is not your swing path or face angle or that new putter you think you need. The issue is, you’re thinking about the path or face rather than being connected to the target and just playing.

What do I mean? All golfers work on their putting technique on the practice green. Eyes over the ball. Swing back straighter. Don’t let the face open. Those thoughts might be great when you’re practicing, but on the course, they don’t work. Out there, you should be visualizing what you want the ball to do, not grinding over technique.

I teach my students something called “bridge work.” It’s the connection between skill acquisition and on-course play. Let’s assume you have the basic putting skills—you can read break, aim your putter, start the ball on line and so on. The next step is getting in a performance state when you’re playing that lets those skills come out.

That’s what bridge work does; it trains you to use sensations and visualization that connect you to your intention—the target. It moves your attention away from mechanics and onto the task at hand. You stop thinking and start playing.

THE HALO DRILL CHECKS YOUR CONTACT Your browser does not support the video tag.

I want you to try this first drill and the ones that follow on the practice green, but you’re really training yourself to approach putts in a different way on the course.

The Halo Drill promotes solid contact, which is how you produce a predictable roll. It also prevents one of the most common putting faults at any level—peeking too soon.

Pick a 15- or 20-footer on the practice green and set up as you normally do. Here I’m using the Bridgestone MindSet ball I developed with Jason Day, but you can use any ball. Hit some putts focusing on “seeing” the ball after you strike it. In other words, keep your eyes still, and you’ll see a halo or outline of the ball after it’s gone (above). That image will stay in your vision until you shift your eyes. See it for two or three seconds, and you know you’re doing it right.

This drill helps you strike the ball flush without thinking about mechanics. You’re focusing on an image, not trying to translate thoughts into actions. Seeing the halo is a better task than, Keep my head still. You already know how to hit the ball solid. If you ditch the thinking part, you’re in a better place to actually do it.

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DISTANCE CONTROL ALWAYS PUTS YOU CLOSE Your browser does not support the video tag.

Next up is the Roll-Roll-Stop Drill, which addresses spacial awareness. When you can accurately judge space or, in putting, distance, you’ll stop hitting putts way short or blasting them by the hole. You’ll be playing with your innate sense of space.

Grab a coin or heavy ball marker and toss it anywhere on the green, then set up to a ball with the coin as your target. As you size up the distance, I want you to use what’s called an awareness loop. Look from the ball to the coin, then bring your awareness back to the ball with your eyes still on the coin, and finally return your eyes to the ball. You’re running your awareness in front of your vision, which creates a deeper connection to what you’re trying to do. Repeat this a few times.

Now hit the putt, closing your eyes just after impact. Start saying in your mind, Roll . . . roll . . . roll, and when you think the ball is about to stop, slowly turn your head to the target, open your eyes and say, Stop. See how close you got to the coin (above). Toss it again to a different spot, making the distance as randomized as possible.

You can use this technique when you play, too. You’re learning to be externally connected to the target and feeling out the distance without thinking about how hard to hit the ball or how long your stroke should be. Those mechanical thoughts only clog the process. Spacial awareness is a skill you already have—and the more you exercise it, the better it gets.

VISUALIZING BREAK GETS YOU TO THE CUP Your browser does not support the video tag.

Our last demo is the Ball-Track Drill, which trains visualization. If you can see something happen in your mind’s eye, it’s much easier to believe you can do it. When you believe, then you can commit, and putting is more about commitment than physical skill.

Find a breaking putt of 10 or 12 feet on the practice green, read the break and use a handful of balls to create a track representing the line (above). Set up to the first ball and go through the awareness loop we just discussed: Trace your eyes through each ball and out to the hole, then leave your eyes on the hole and bring your awareness back through the balls, then move your eyes back the same way. This will help you commit to your intention.

After practicing the awareness loop for a few minutes, remove the balls and go through the same process, eventually stroking putts. Using golf balls, not tees or coins, to mark the line is important because they show exactly what the putt would look like curving into the hole. You’re trying to sharpen your visualization, seeing the balls track to the hole, then removing them but retaining the image.

Visualization is such a critical skill because you’re always imagining something positive and keeping your mind off technique or judgment. If a negative or mechanical thought creeps in, it will clang like a bullhorn. Step back and start again.

Using images and sensations will help you putt with freedom and athleticism. Less work, more play.

MORE: Short putts should be so easy—with this tip they are

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Jason Goldsmith lives in Spokane, Wash., but don’t expect to find him there. He’s in his 16th season working with players on tour. During that time he has helped Jason Day and Justin Rose ascend to World No. 1.

After serving in the U.S. Air Force and developing several businesses, Goldsmith decided to follow his passion for golf. He studied under top teachers such as Fred Shoemaker and Michael Hebron as well as MLB coaching legend Tom House.

In 2010, Goldsmith got a call from putting coach Phil Kenyon asking him to help one of his players with green reading at the Open Championship. That player was Henrik Stenson, which led to Mike Weir, Day, Rose and others.

“When I got on tour, I saw even the pros were stuck in a ‘problem identification’ mindset,” Goldsmith says. “They were overthinking. Bridge work was how to get them back to playing.

“Think about a painter. He has to know the brush, the colors, the canvas, but that doesn’t make him an artist. Same with golf—the technical skills are required, but on the course, the golfer needs to be an artist.”

Five years ago, Goldsmith co-founded Mustard, a company that trains athletes’ performance. He recently helped launch the Mustard Golf app, which provides personalized game analysis and coaching for golfers at all skill levels.

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