Lets start by saying that a putt of 5 to 7 feet are the putts we expect to make, yet have the most trouble with. These are the putts we need to improve on. Anyone can sink a 3 foot putt. If you're more than 7 feet away, the percentage of a putt sinking go down drastically to where you can accept that you will have to more than likely make a 2nd putt.

So the 4 to 6, 5 to 7 foot shot is where we want to spend our time practicing. It is well known that the Pros sink only about 50% of their putts of between 5 to 7 feet, so you really cant get to upset with yourself when you are missing 5 to 7 footers, but we can improve this, so lets practice and see if we can improve our success rate for the 5 to 7 foot putt.

So you're at the local practice putting green. Grab a hand full of balls and lets get started. Start with the balls about 5 feet from the hole. We will want to concentrate on 2 major points as we putt. The stroke and alignment.

It is very important to have the correct alignment so we can get a strait shot. When we have our alignment squared away, we can then go on to focus on the stroke.

If you regularly miss strait putts where there is no break, your alignment is slightly off or your stroke is off. If you are missing putts with a break, your stroke may be good, but the speed of the ball may be off. It is important for this drill to find an area without a break. We will fix our strait putts before tackling the breaking putts.

There are a myriad of putting improvement aids on the market. The Odyssey putter employees a 2-ball technology that aids in alignment which is as I described, the most important part of putting. However, the Odyssey putter is quite expensive and you don't need to spend $239 to become a good putter. I found a nice little aid called the 2-Way Putter Alignment System. Its a small metal gizmo with a magnet on the base that allows the 2-Way to snap right on to your existing putter head. Then you square it up over the ball or behind in the traditional 2-Ball mode and you have the 2-ball technology to use for putting practice. Here is a link to the 2-Way Putter Alignment System if you are interested.

I recommend practicing with either the Odyssey 2-Ball putter, or the 2-Way Putter Alignment System, because the 2-Ball technology is without a doubt absolutely effective. As the 2 white circles that comprise the 2-Ball technology pass through with the stroke, an imperfection in the alignment of your putting stroke becomes obvious like a sore thumb. This is invaluable feedback to the individual desiring to have more success with putting.

Now We start putting, keeping our 2 concerns in mind. Alignment and stroke. Align the putter head square as best you can words the hole. The 2-Way will help here. Remember, this is the biggest problem with poor putting and takes the most time and effort in practice to correct. Once you have corrected your alignment, You will see a great improvement. Now make sure the putter head is going strait back on the swing. There should be no motion two rd or away from your body.

Lets set yourself a goal. We must Sink 50 in a row from a distance between 4 to 7 feet. This is going to be hard to achieve, but it is possible. Remember, if you miss a single putt, you have to start over at 1. This teaches you to putt under pressure. You know how you will feel as you get into the 40's. You will feel the pressure and you have to press on and sink the rest or you go back to 1. That's pressure. This will help you improve your concentration and your putting stroke.

As your stroke improves, you will notice that you will become more and more confident in your short putting ability to the point where you will be able to step back to 7 and 8 feet and farther with more confidence in your putting ability.

This putting drill can be done anywhere. If you happen to be home or goofing off in the office. You can practice on the carpet. The point is, Alignment and Stroke. Work on that and use the technique described and before you know it, you will be an impressive putter. And its all about being impressive.