Bali Golf Course

Bali Golf Course Putting Tips: To Sink a Long Put, Aim Short
Golfer Camilo Villegas contorts himself into an interesting position to read the green.

When you're only a few feet from the cup, it's easy to aim the face of the putter and apply precisely the right amount of force. But what if you're trying to sink a 20-foot (6-meter) putt? A slight error in your alignment can throw you completely off, which is why long putts are enough to rattle the nerves of all but the most skilled golfers. And that's a pity, because your ability to make such shots can shave plenty of strokes off your score.

That's why great putters learn to compensate for distance by using a visualization technique called spot putting. Once you line up the shot, instead of aiming at the hole itself, focus on an imaginary spot along that line, approximately 3 feet (0.9 meters) in front of you. If you've visualized the putt correctly, the ball should roll on through that imaginary target to the hole

Bali Golf Course Putting Tips: Get a Grip
Golfer Ai Miyazato of Japan lines up her putt during the third round of the Kia Classic.

It's not that important to stand like Jack Nicklaus, but you definitely want to listen to the Golden Bear's advice on how to hold the putter. In his book, "Putting My Way," Nicklaus explains: "To me, the most important consideration in putting is consistent fluidity of stroke, and grip firmness has a major influence on this." Most amateurs grip too tightly, he says. He recommends gripping the putter just firmly enough so that you can control its head path and face alignment, but not so rigidly that it can't swing naturally with its own weight and momentum.

Nicklaus also recommends applying exactly the same grip pressure on every putt, no matter the distance or angle. And he warns you to be careful not to change the pressure during the stroke itself, which will totally mess you up

Bali Golf Course Putting Tips: Learn How to Read a Green
Camilo Villegas of Colombia looks over a putt on the 18th hole during the third round of the Honda Classic.

This isn't a video game, where the green is just a colored background. Various greens have different physical characteristics, and you have to understand and compensate for how texture, topography and moisture will affect the speed and direction of your ball as it rolls toward the hole.

As Eric Alpenfels, Cary Heath and Bob Christina advise in their book "Instinct Putting," you should start evaluating the green while you're approaching it on the fairway because you've got the best perspective on the topography from a distance. Keep in mind that greens usually have what is called the "architect's slope," which enables them to drain quickly after a heavy rain. That generally means that the green will slope toward the fairway.

If your approach shot lands to the left of the hole, your putt will break from left to right. If it lands on the right side, it'll break from right to left. Short of the hole, you'll have an uphill putt, but if your ball lands beyond the hole, you'll be putting downhill. Another important detail to watch for is the fall line, or the contour of the green. If your ball is on the left side of the fall line, it will tend to break from left to right, while on the opposite side the reverse is true