Putting from Andrew Fish
1. Every player struggles with this at some point. If someone tells you they always have a feel for their putt, tell them they're lying. Your struggle is universal; your solution, regrettably, is personal.
2. It's really important that your practice routine and your tournament routine are the same. Pacing, wind/green reads, holding other things, marking your lie, etc.
3. I can super-assure you that a common mental error is allowing the stakes of a putt to creep in unbidden. Which is why the tournament routine emulating practice is critical--it's comfort to fall back into. Go watch Hoosiers if that helps you.
4. Be rational about what your capabilities are. I'm not Paige or Paul or Ricky so I don't run everything I look at. I also make a point not to think about percentages or misses during a round.
5. To be great at anything, you need to both be brutally honest, and selectively misleading. When it's performance time, you must have it both ways: remember the putts you made and how good you are AND ignore that you've ever missed.
6. Never be sure that you've ruled out mechanical problems. I've seen sooooo many "rate my form" videos for driving, and like, 3 lifetime for putting. Film yourself, compare to elite putters, and get rid of every extraneous movement.
7. During the round is a bad time for macro-adjustments. Hitting cage then band means you're spraying big. Eliminating extraneous motion reduces potential for error, and makes the micro-adjustments (e.g. loading plant leg better, springy wrist, whatever your cues are) doable.
8. Your expectations and practice volume & quality must be correlated. If you want to get better at putting, you have to putt a LOT. You have to be able to recognize "uphill, crosswind, low ceiling" and just DO it without analyzing further.
9. A big theme in all of this advice: thinking is the enemy. Before and after practice sessions and tournaments is the time to think. If you're constantly thinking and tinkering during tournaments you'll drive yourself crazy. Play and practice enough that throwing is natural.
10. Doubt is even worse. When you're walking up to a shot or putt of any distance and don't think you're gonna make it, chances are that you're right. Step off and pep talk.
11. This happens more often than any of us want to admit. So get a buddy to really dig in once or twice a round. Remind you about the downslope right as you're lining up. Casually ask if that branch is in your line. Find ways to apply pressure, so that you can LEARN to respond.
12. Never be fully satisfied. Take joy in your perfect makes. Be annoyed and micro-adjust when you barely tuck in a 12-footer left side. Know that you're gonna doink a 25-footer occasionally (but don't get caught wondering if this is the one).
13. Your standard of comparison is you. Ignore what your competitors or pros are doing. They don't matter. Are you better at putting than you were at this time last year? Why or why not, and what are you doing to improve?
14. Finally, relax. Your best tense throw has less potential than your worst relaxed one.
