Back in the '80s when I was on the LPGA Tour, I constantly worked on my putting. I made thousands of putts every week and as a result was a very good putter. I was so confident in my putting skills that my mantra was "if I've got a putter in my hand, I can make it."

Now, over 10 years later, I still live by the same mantra. But as a full time teaching pro and a person with an otherwise very active life, I almost NEVER practice my putting. Yet I am still a great putter in spite of the lack of time spent on the practice green. My secret to remaining a good putter?

The answer lies in two parts. First, I never have general targets on the putting green; they are always very specific. Second, I never stand over the ball on a long putt and think to myself, "just get it close." To me that is the kiss of death, a negative thought in disguise that reveals a fear of missing short putts. 99 times out of 100, I will go for it.

Those are mental thoughts you say. What about mechanics? I rarely work on them now because it isn't necessary. Here's my secret to putting. When you combine the following with being target focused, you have a practically no-fail solution to just about any putting woe.

It's all very simple. Keep the face of the putter moving towards the target at impact and the first six inches or so after impact. Common sense you say? Yes, but no one ever thinks of it. They spend their time worrying about their back swing/stroke and all the tedious little details of putting mechanics: triangles and pendulums and firm wrists.

None of that really matters if you are focused on taking the face of the putter towards the target at impact and the first few inches after. And by "towards the target" I mean two things. First, the putter must be moving straight down the target line. Not left or right of the target line, but straight towards the target.

Second, the face of the putter must be "looking" at the target. That means it is moving perpendicular to the target line. This part is very important because it is possible to keep the putter moving straight towards the target but the face can be up in the air. That will cause a weak hit. Think that there is an eye on the face of your putter and at the moment of impact, it must be looking directly at the target. That means the putter is low to the ground and the face is perpendicular to the target line.

And that's it. Too good to be true you say? No, not really. Think about the practical aspects of this kind of approach. Number one, you are target focused. By being so specific with your target, you are sending a very clear signal to your brain as to what you intend to do. Second, the brain loves to have something very specific to swing/stroke towards. And since the brain wants symmetry in the swing, it will figure out the easiest and most efficient way to take the putter back in order to follow through directly towards your target. That eliminates worrying about swing path on the backstroke.

Next, if you are concentrating on following through towards your target, keeping the face of the putter low and perpendicular to the target line, you will not be able to break or twist your wrists. This will automatically perform your follow through mechanics for you. The amazing thing is, you weren't even thinking about them. Instead, you were thinking about making the putt.

It's so easy it is almost scary.

A couple of cautions. Remember that your target is not necessarily the hole. The target is where you are aiming in order to allow the putt to break into the hole. If it’s a straight putt, a specific target will lead to more accurate alignment as well as a more efficient through stroke. Also, once you have picked your target, do remember to take the time to visualize your ball starting towards the target, then curving towards the hole, and dropping over the lip.

Second, to ensure acceleration, your follow through should be a little longer than the length of your back stroke. So do not try to follow through straight down your target line for more than about six inches after contact with the ball. This will cause you to move your body drastically, which will cause a variety of errors. After a few inches, depending on the length of the putt, the putter will move inside the target line as well as lift up into the air. So please don't take me too literally on the through stroke part.

So that's it, my secret to great putting. Be target focused, and follow through where you are aiming. It's that simple. You can practice this on the putting green first, however this is an easy one to take to the course. I'll warn you though; you'd better be prepared to stop whining about all those missed putts. And you might as well get ready to watch your handicap drop, because My Secret to Putting will definitely help to make that a reality.

Good luck and have fun making all those putts!

© Melissa Whitmire Happiness in Golf