The ability to putt well is often the difference between success and failure in golf, and to that end Ake Nilsson currently has one up on his rivals.
The Swede, a Qualifying School graduate, currently leads the Genworth Statistics’ Putts Per Round category with an average of 27.5. The secret to Nilsson’s success, according to the man himself, is practice, practice, practice.
He said: “I do a lot of work on my putting. There’s no easy way – I probably practise for at least an hour a day. I can be quite a streaky putter, so I need to improve my consistency. My putter can be really hot one week, but then go completely cold the next. I think my lowest putts in a round was 21, in a Nordic League event in Denmark. But I’ve probably also had 41 putts in a round before!”
Getting the right equipment – and trusting in it – is also essential, as Nilsson explains. He said: “I use a TaylorMade putter, which I’ve had for about eight years now. It’s served me pretty well, so I see no reason to change it. I think sometimes players change their putters too often, just because they’ve had a bad round and want to blame it on something. It takes time to get used to a club, so chopping and changing all the time doesn’t help.”
As well as the need to stick with your putter, Nilsson also stresses the importance of trusting your instincts when it comes to reading the greens.
He said: “It sounds obvious, but one of the most important aspects of putting well is to read the greens right. Sometimes my caddie gives me advice, but normally I read the putts myself. It’s important to get as low as possible to the ground to read the contours and figure out which way the ball’s going to roll. Then once you’ve figured out your line, stick with it. Sometimes if you keep going back and checking, you end up getting confused and changing your mind.
“I think another area where most amateurs go wrong is that their backswing is too short. They need to make it a little longer, so the putting stroke is smoother and less jerky. That’s something I’m trying to work on myself. Some amateurs also tend to grip the putter too tight – it’s important to relax your grip to improve your feel.”
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