Backaches? Can't relax in your stance? Adjust your feet either closer or further from the ball-to-cup line as needed to form a more relaxed stance.

2torial #0814: Learn2 Sink a Putt (Continued) Putt it short Now you're ready for the real thing. It's a good idea when practicing to start off with a few short putts. Short putts put your mind at ease without all the worry about distance, lay, and speed. A few successful short putts also instill confidence that you're in the right game, and you relax even more. Stand about a yard (1 m) behind the ball and draw an imaginary line from the ball to the cup. Step up to the ball so that your putter sits lightly on the ground, flat and about one inch (3 cm) behind the ball. Look at the imaginary line connecting the ball to the cup. Check the alignment of your stance --making sure you're also standing perpendicular to the line of the putt. Take in a deep breath, and exhale deeply. Move your body back and forth to release any excess tension. You want to swing evenly through the ball, and you want the path of the ball to trace the line you visualized along the green and into the cup. Draw the putter back with your shoulders (not your hands or your wrists) about ten inches (25 cm) behind the ball, remembering to keep your head over the ball and still. Look directly at the ball but try to visualize the cup with the peripheral vision. Unwind like a pendulum. Exhale at the top of your backswing, swing smoothly through the ball, and follow through with your swing. Keep your eyes on the ball (or where it was before you putted it) continously throughout the swing. Visualize the ball rolling into the cup while you swing. Step 7