Here is another short putting tip.

When golfing in Thailand and I have a putt of ten feet or less (which is practically every hole), I make a slight change in the stance I use for longer putts.

I stand so that the ball which is off my left toe on all putts is an inch nearer my foot. I also choke down (up if you are American) on my putter about 1 additional inch so that my hands are slightly nearer to the head of the golf club.

Moving the ball in that inch changes the feeling I get about the kind of stroke needed to contact the ball squarely. My hands feel more in control. By this, I mean I get the feeling as I line myself up that I can hit the ball much more solidly and more decisively and that my stroke doesn’t have to travel so far either going back or coming forward or have as much delicate timing to it.

It works that way for me no matter where I golf in Thailand. Last week golfing in Phuket I played the choppy greens at Mission Hills and the slicker putting surfaces at Blue Canyon, and Red Mountain. The technique worked just the same.

This technique cuts down my backswing, enabling me to tap the ball very firmly, and I find that the tap action automatically makes me follow through without my having to really think about following through. In the three rounds in Phuket I only missed 2 of 22 putts within 10 feet, not bad for a 17 handicapper!

I feel strongly that when a Thailand golfer taps the ball in a crisp manner, he is bound to get the ball started right, and the most important part of any putt is the first six or eight inches. If the ball is rolling right then, it will roll right all the way. You can always tell when a putt is hit correctly. Look at the way the putts come off your opponents club. Even from the side I bet you can practically predict which of his putts will drop.

Give this a try next time you are golfing in Thailand and watch your score improve by at least 2-4 strokes a round!

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