When putting, do you look where the ball is going immediately after you have hit it? If so, I don't blame you. Being curious about the outcome of your putt is part of being human and 99 percent of all golfers look up after hitting the ball.

Now comes the interesting part. Don't look up after hitting your putt. Thats right. I didn't make a mistake. I mean it. Whatever you do, do not look where the ball is going after you have hit it. Now you are most probably thinking, "This guy is crazy!" or ,"What on earth is he talking about?", but hear me out.

This happens to be the biggest difference between golfers who putt really well and the golfers who don't and here is the reason why.

The follow through. It is one of the most important parts of a good putting stroke. It ensures that you are accelerating the putter into the ball when hitting it and it also ensures that you do not lose your rhythm and momentum when putting. Rhythm and momentum in a putting stroke mean that you consistently have better and sweeter contact when putting the ball. This results in putts that roll better and that nine out of ten times do not stop short of the hole, unless you have seriously misjudged the length of the putt or the speed of the green. What this means is that nine out of ten putts actually have a chance of going into the hole as they have been hit properly and are rolling on the correct line.

Now you may be asking, "What has looking up got to do with your follow through?" Its actually very simple.
Most golfers forget to complete the follow through when they look up to see the outcome of their putt. This results in a loss of momentum and rhythm because as soon as they have made contact with the ball they stop swinging and look up. The result is that the ball either runs out of steam or the putt isn't on the right line.

So here is a simple remedy to improving your putting ability. Once you have hit the ball, keep looking at the spot where the ball was before you hit it and listen for the ball to drop into the hole. This will ensure that you complete your follow through and make more consistent and sweeter contact with the ball. You should see a significant improvement in the consistency of your putts and the number of long putts that you sink.

A very simple part of your game to improve is the conversion of your short putts. This is the area where many amateur golfers throw away at least two to three shots per round and quite honestly this is unacceptable. Luckily, if you struggle with this particular problem there is a very simple solution to fix this.

Here is what you should do when facing a putt between one yard and less.

Step 1: Grip the putter firmly to promote a square to square putting stroke. Place the putter behind the ball and ensure that it is lined up with the hole. When I say lined up with the hole I don't mean on the left edge or the right edge. I mean dead center at the back of the cup. If the putt breaks to the left or right then adjust for this by aiming very slightly to the left or right of dead center.

Step 2: Set your body up squarely with your feet, knees, hips and shoulders positioned parallel to the target line.

Step 3: Swing the putter back low along the target line, allowing your left shoulder to move downward and your right shoulder to move upward in a pendulum action. This action will ensure that the putter stays online and square to the hole.

Step 4: Move your shoulders in the opposite direction to ensure a straight through square stroke. Here is the most important part of the shot, stroke the ball firmly into the back of the cup. This will minimize the break and will increase your conversion rate. You must also not move your head after striking the ball to ensure a full follow through to complete the stroke.

Step 5: Make sure that you practice this type of putt to build up your confidence as confidence is key to becoming a good putter of the ball.