Leave yourself an Uphill Putt

One of the major differences between the Tour pros and the weekend player is that the Tour pro focuses on where he wants his “misses” to land. For example, if the green is sloped back-to-front, the Tour pro will choose a club that will make sure that he leaves his approach below the hole so that he has an easier, uphill putt for birdie. You should do the same thing. Instead of just walking off the yardage and choosing the appropriate club for the yardage, take a second to study the green to see how it’s sloped. If it is sloped severely back-to-front, take one less club or choke down on the club a bit. Or, if it is sloped hard right-to-left, aim well left of the hole (assuming the hole isn’t cut tight to the left side of the green near trouble). By leaving your approach shots on the proper side of the hole, you’ll find yourself three-putting a lot less.