Perhaps put more into your putter?

When it comes to clubhouse chatter, grumbling and complaints, very few clubs garner as much attention as the old putter.

It is often the most talked about area of the game. Unfortunately, players tend to take very little appropriate action when it comes to improving their putting. It is time to make changes and understand that action will trump intention every single day when it comes to progress.

For most players, putting will consist of anywhere from 30-50 per cent of their total score. Let’s shoot low and use the conservative 30 per cent marker for the sake of this column.

Progressing as a player is all about taking care of the details. Here are a few putting keys for you to consider.

In many cases taking a lesson is one of the first things players will do to improve their game. Unfortunately, most of these lessons are scheduled for the range. All too often, putting gets neglected in the lesson matrix when booking.

It only makes sense to commit a proportional amount of your time learning to putt well. The next time you book a lesson program, be sure to devote at least 30 per cent of your instructional sessions to working on the green.

Following up lessons with practice is a no-brainer; however, you must be sure you are devoting at least 30 per cent of your time working out the bugs and building habits with the flat-stick. Most players head to the range only.

It is very important to remember, any time you spend on the putting green immediately prior to your round is considered warm up, not practice. Cramming before a test is rarely effective and this time should be spent developing feel rather than trying to improve mechanics.

The putter is the one and only club a player will use every hole of the round. No other club in your bag will receive this much attention. Shouldn’t it receive the same amount of attention when buying your set?

I often see players spend upwards of $1,500 for set of irons, woods and hybrids. They will have them custom fit so they are the correct length, lie angle, grip size and weight they desire. No stone is unturned when searching for equipment in general.

They will spend weeks using demo clubs to try and source out the perfect choice for their game; however, they only spend minutes selecting the right putter. Often, they will follow up their purchase by grabbing an off-the-rack putter for $99.

The next time you are searching for new equipment, spend 30 per cent of your time trying out putters and selecting the right one for your game. Be sure to set aside 30 per cent of your budget for your putter purchase and fitting. If your other clubs deserve this much attention, surely your putter does as well.

Bottom line, putting only gets better with a devoted effort. Pay attention to the little details and give it the attention it deserves. If it controls most of your post round conversation, does it not deserve that much of your pre-round attention as well?

Trevor Moore is a PGA of Canada professional and a TPI Certified Golf Fitness Instructor with the Titleist Performance Institute. Based in Medicine Hat, he runs the Advantage Golf Academy at Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course and coaches the Medicine Hat College Rattlers golf teams. For comments or questions, you can contact him via his website trevormoore.ca or follow him on Twitter @trevormooreinc.