Putting Tip: Try Not to Make It

Green reading is as much about the mindful spending of time as it is any other aspect of golf. Fail to look at a putt long enough and you might miss one of the breaks. Stare at your line too long and it can start to resemble an optical illusion on the back of a cereal box. One strategy I use to get an accurate read in a short amount of time is thinking about how I might miss it.

You’re like, “wut?”

Try it: crouch behind the ball, look at your line, and think about how not to make it. Envision all the different paths and speeds the ball would have to take to not die into the cup. This might help you pick out the line that will get the ball in the hole a little more easily. 

I discovered this trick when I belonged to a golf team but was completely burned out on the game. I was actively attempting not to make putts so I’d fail to qualify for events, but had to make it look like I was giving each and every roll my all. After several months, I’d become really good at narrowly missing them and found myself wishing I knew how to do that back when I actually wanted to score. But after a seven-year break, my love for the game was restored, and I’ve since been using this power for good. So try it! Just make sure to spend as much time perfecting your stroke so you can properly execute those accurate reads (this part I don’t do, but imagine if I did!).