You have heard it countless times, be it from your regular playing partner, or some random hack at the driving range. Keep your head down! he shouts, as you are in the middle of your backswing. Useful tip for some people with their full golf swing, to be sure, however, few people realize it is a far more helpful golf tip to use while putting.

Putting

Yes, keep your head down. Try it sometime. Whether you are looking at a long or short, fast or slow putt, this tip is critical. Next time you are on the putting green, give it a try. Make sure you have lined up your putt, taken your practice strokes to get a feel for the speed and then put on a good putting stroke. The next step is important.

Do you find yourself looking up immediately to see if your long birdie putt is headed for the cup? If you said yes, this tip will help you. Keep your head down! Just make that solid putting stroke and keep staring down at where the ball was. Do not follow the ball with your head or your eyes. Who cares where it goes? Chances are regardless of how you have hit the ball it you will not have to look long to find it.

Practice on the green with this tip for a while, and I am confident you will start sinking more putts.

Chipping

Now that you have spent some time working on that putting stroke, take that same stroke to your chipping routine. Yep, that putting stroke can work wonders for you around the green, because you have taken your wrists completely out of the equation.

Take your pitching wedge, sand wedge, 8-iron and a handful of balls with you to the side of the practice green. Take pitching wedge, align yourself with the flag stick and simply hit the golf ball as if you were trying to putt with the highly lofted club. It will seem strange at first. But get those thoughts out of your mind.

A simple, short, smooth, putting stroke with your pitching wedge will accurately place the golf ball on the green, and get a nice soft roll toward the pin. Again, let me stress short. Take the club back only as far as you would take your putter for say a 15 foot putt. Try not to worry about anything else, just think to yourself, I am putting. Once you are comfortable hitting these shots with the pitching wedge, try the sand wedge and the 8-iron. You will quickly learn the distances you can chip with these various clubs and will have a new tool in your bag of tricks. Say goodbye to the lack of confidence around the green, and we all know, confidence is an enormous part of the game of golf.