Feeling comfortable about your game is always a confidence booster when faced with tough shots around the green. And there is no better way to make that comfortable feeling more comfortable than enlarging what I call the “Comfort Circle;” the circle around the hole that you know without a doubt you can make a putt. Making More Short Putts Most professionals are automatic from 5 feet and in, simply because they practice those length putts at every event. Some are deadly at 6-8 feet. Because they can make these putts routinely, their short games are now free of undue stress, allowing them to take dead aim at the hole when chipping and hitting out of bunkers. This is a luxury too few amateurs experience, however, you can increase your comfort level with short putts and take pressure off your short game with a very simple drill. Place 8 balls around the hole approximately 4 feet from the hole. Challenge yourself to make all 8 balls in the hole in a row. Should you miss, you have to start all over again. Making all 8 in a row provides a similar pressure you would experience standing over a putt to win your club championship. Should you miss, the consequences could be adverse. As you make more putts and become comfortable from this distance, challenge yourself by increasing the distance by a foot at a time, again with the mission of making all 8 in a row. A couple of tips to…
