Chapter 4
The Selective Memory of Champions
At a Georgia Tech fundraiser, Jack Nicklaus claimed he'd never three-putted the last hole of a tournament or missed from inside five feet on the final hole. When an audience member contradicted him with specific evidence, Nicklaus firmly maintained his position. This wasn't delusion but strategic memory management-the greatest golfer ever had developed selective amnesia about his putting failures.
Unlike our culture's tendency to focus on mistakes (the "red marks" mentality), Nicklaus blocked missed putts from memory while retaining and replaying successful ones. This selective memory maintained his self-image as a great putter, which enabled him to actually be one. As William James observed, people tend to become what they think about themselves.
Improving as a putter requires examining your attitude and self-image. Many golfers use "realism" as an excuse for negative thinking, dwelling on missed putts and multiplying their psychological damage. Instead, successful putters train themselves to remember their best putts, reliving them vividly.
Poor putters often cling to their negative self-perception, taking perverse pride in their putting struggles and using them as convenient excuses for not playing well. They create self-fulfilling prophecies-believing they have no putting talent ensures they can't achieve the relaxed, confident state necessary for success.
Great putters, by contrast, maintain positive self-talk, enjoy practice greens as opportunities to showcase skills, monitor their attitudes like athletes monitor weight, and remain immune to technique doubts. Bobby Locke, despite his unorthodox stroke, never questioned his approach-he assumed the rest of the world had the problem.
To transform your putting self-image, spend fifteen minutes nightly visualizing successful putts, reliving them with rich sensory detail. Change how you discuss putting-banish complaints, respond positively when asked, and expect improvement. Though challenging, this mental discipline separates champions from the field.
Chapter 5
Understanding and Overcoming the Yips
The yips are a mental affliction that typically strikes excellent players, particularly perfectionists. The pattern is common: a natural player who once simply focused on getting the ball in the hole becomes obsessed with perfecting technique. As their swing improves with age, their putting deteriorates because they approach it with the same mechanical perfectionism.
The perfectionist remembers missed putts rather than successful ones. They're never satisfied-even when putts drop, they must be center-cut. This self-pressure eventually causes something to snap. They can't draw the club back smoothly or stroke the ball naturally. They have the yips.
Harry Vardon, winner of six British Opens, described the onset as a twitch causing his right arm to jump and grip to tighten. Sam Snead pinpointed his yips to 1946 after losing exhibition matches to putting master Bobby Locke. At age 34, Snead wrongly blamed his nervous system and tried everything-new putters, croquet style, sidesaddle-but never addressed his attitude.
The yips originate in the mind, not the body. Prevention is simple: accept that putting is imperfect, forget misses quickly, and remember successful putts. Players vulnerable to yips think "I should make all three-footers," adding unnecessary pressure. Those immune focus on process rather than results, content with following their routine and enjoying putting.
Players with yips try to consciously control their stroke instead of seeing the target and reacting naturally. They're like classical musicians rigidly following sheet music, while yip-free putters are like jazz musicians playing with flow and creativity.
You can't practice your way out of the yips. Temporary solutions like new putters or grips only work until you start analyzing why they work. The only cure requires rebuilding your putting mentality from scratch-rediscovering a carefree, confident attitude and developing a sense of humor about putting. It means cultivating a short memory for misses and a long memory for successes, giving up the quest for the perfect stroke, and committing to a routine that includes seeing the ball going to your target and stroking unconsciously.
Chapter 6
The Power of Routine: Your Anchor in the Storm
Observing Davis Love III on the practice green reveals a key element of great putting-his unwavering commitment to routine. Unlike many players who practice with multiple balls, Davis always uses just one ball, walking to it after each putt exactly as he would during actual play. This illustrates his dedication to practicing the same routine he uses in competition, whether it's a casual round or a pressure-filled Ryder Cup putt.
When Davis and Rotella first worked together during his college years, he didn't consider himself a good putter despite having natural talent. His problem was "getting in his own way"-allowing extraneous thoughts to interfere with his putting. This happens when golfers lecture themselves about technique, remember past misses, worry about making the cut, or think about money at stake.
A strong putting routine combines physical elements (grip, stance, practice swings) with crucial mental components (reading the green, deciding on line, clearing the mind). By studying successful athletes in pressure situations-Michael Jordan and Mark Price shooting free throws, Larry Bird in three-point contests-they noticed these athletes all moved decisively at the moment of truth, focusing on the target without delay.
Davis recognized parallels to his fishing and hunting experiences, where he simply looked at his target and executed without overthinking technique. Through hundreds of repetitions, he developed a routine that maximized his natural athleticism: look at the target, look at the ball, stroke the putt immediately. This transformed him from someone who doubted his putting ability into one of the Tour's statistical leaders.
The physical aspects of a routine can vary widely among good putters-some plumb-bob, some don't; some take practice strokes, others don't. What matters most is having a comfortable routine and sticking with it. But at the crucial moment, the best putters share a smooth, relaxed cadence without freezing over the ball, which allows them to "see it and do it" without tension interfering with their stroke.
The mental routine begins before reaching the green, as good players start processing information about their putt the moment their approach shot stops. Walking toward the hole, they use their imagination to envision how the ball will roll across the contours they observe.
While much has been written about reading greens, countless putts are missed because golfers' minds become cluttered with too much "information"-grain direction, drainage patterns, optical illusions-leaving them unable to focus on their target. Ironically, experience can sometimes be a hindrance rather than help, as junior golfers who know nothing about these supposed fine points often read greens remarkably well by simply trusting their first impression.
Chapter 7
The Art of Reading Greens: First Impressions Matter Most
Rotella's cardinal rule for reading greens: your first impression of how a putt will break will be right more often than any subsequent impression. Cindy Figg-Currier compares this process to focusing a camera-you adjust until the image is sharp, but once clear, you don't keep turning the focusing ring. Similarly, once you've read a putt clearly, stick with it.
Good putters absorb information efficiently, drawing on course familiarity when available. Tour players compensate for lack of local knowledge during practice rounds by putting to various green locations and marking diagrams in their yardage books. While caddies can provide valuable insight, relying entirely on someone else's read prevents you from developing your own green-reading skills and can create confusion when two minds tackle the same problem.
Most putts don't require walking around to view from multiple angles. Though pace of play is important, don't rush your routine-the problem of slow rounds stems more from players not being ready when it's their turn than from thorough putting routines. Go through your process at a deliberate, comfortable pace, and like Davis Love, have the discipline to start over if your mental focus wavers.
Rotella doesn't believe in tricks or gimmicks for reading putts. While Bobby Locke focused on the last few feet of a putt's journey, novices should keep green reading simple. Certain exceptions exist-like compensating for Bermuda grass or local peculiarities such as the "Phoenix rule" where putts break toward Phoenix regardless of appearances-but these adjustments work best for players already familiar with those conditions.
Players putting well find it easier to trust their first impressions. When David Duval shot his remarkable 59 in the Bob Hope Classic, he barely examined his final seven-foot eagle putt-he simply got an instinctive read, picked his target, and stroked it decisively. Whether you're putting to break 60 or 100, the principle remains the same.
Chapter 8
Putt to Make It: The Only Mindset That Works
With a strong putting routine, players describe entering their own private world-a bubble where awareness of surroundings fades as focus intensifies. In this pleasant mental space, they feel secure in their abilities and immersed in the challenge, unconcerned with others' opinions.
The climactic part of any good routine is beautifully simple: putt to make it. As Rotella's mother might say, "Why else would you putt?" Unfortunately, golfers often putt with other objectives-not to three-putt, to leave a good next putt, not to go too far past, not to leave it short, or just to make a good roll. None of these alternatives works effectively.
When you putt to make it, you become absolutely absorbed in the present moment. Nothing else matters except rolling this particular ball into that specific hole. There is no future or past-you're not dwelling on the approach shot that got you here or anticipating how you'll feel if you miss. You're simply executing the putt with complete focus, like Seve Ballesteros, who when asked about four-putting at Augusta, responded with characteristic directness: "I putt and miss. I putt and miss. I putt and mis-"
Forget the three-foot circle strategy that TV commentators promote. This approach only increases your margin of error and leads to more three-putts. To win in today's competitive golf environment, you must try to hole every putt. Players who go low are those who discipline their minds to think only of the target at every opportunity, not those who play it safe to preserve a decent score.
Take Tripp Isenhour, who transformed from a consistent but unspectacular college golfer into a tour winner by changing his putting mindset. When he shot his tournament-winning 63 at the Mississippi Golf Coast Open, he focused solely on seeing his target and rolling the ball to it, ignoring thoughts about his score or the field. This mental discipline-clearing his mind and thinking only of his target-was the key to his breakthrough.
Chapter 9
Embracing Pressure: How Champions Thrive When It Matters Most
Tension and anxiety cause more missed putts than carelessness. The key to clutch putting isn't having "ice water in your veins"-it's having a reliable routine that you trust under pressure.
Cindy Figg-Currier faced perhaps the ultimate pressure putt-a fifteen-footer that would determine her entire career path. On her third and final attempt at LPGA Qualifying School in 1983, she needed a birdie on the 18th hole to earn her tour card. After clearing the water with her approach shot, Cindy faced this career-defining fifteen-footer. Her brother Marty, who was caddying, made a brilliant psychological move: "I'll give you all the money I have in my pocket if you make that putt." This instantly transformed the putt from a life-altering challenge into a familiar game, like those she'd played against her siblings growing up on their family's golf course in Michigan. Cindy sank the putt, earned her card, and has maintained it ever since.
While most golfers can't rely on a Marty Figg-type solution, they can develop a mental routine that works repeatedly under pressure. Though we create pressure in our minds-missing a putt won't truly affect our survival-these feelings are real and can physically affect our putting.
Jim Carter's journey illustrates this perfectly. After a late start in golf and years of near-misses, he finally led the Tucson Open by two shots approaching the 72nd hole. Despite hands shaking with adrenaline on his final two-foot putt, he relied completely on his routine-getting behind the ball, finding his line, taking practice strokes, making two looks at the target, and executing. This disciplined approach helped him manage overwhelming nerves and secure his first victory.
Great putters welcome nervous symptoms rather than fearing them. They recognize nerves as a sign that something meaningful is at stake-exactly the high-pressure situations they've practiced for throughout their careers. Dana Quigley exemplifies this mindset. Despite starting golf late in Rhode Island and struggling for years as a club pro, Dana embraced pressure when he joined the Senior Tour. When facing Tom Watson in Kansas City with a one-stroke lead on the final hole, Dana needed to make a 12-footer for birdie while Watson had a tap-in. Rather than playing it safe, Dana committed fully to making his putt, staying completely present without thoughts of the past or future. His dominant habit emerged under pressure-putting to make it, not putting to avoid three-putting-and he sank the championship-winning putt.
Chapter 10
The Wedge Connection: Setting Up Success on the Green
Though Rotella's book focuses on putting, wedge play deserves attention because good wedge shots dramatically improve putting results. A simple experiment proves this: an average golfer will make more putts from three feet using the edge of a sand wedge than even the world's best putters will make from ten feet with their putters. Good wedge play means shorter putts, which means more makes.
This explains why putting statistics can be misleading. They count average putts on greens hit in regulation but don't reflect putt length. A player with mediocre wedge skills might face 20-foot putts on short par-4s and par-5s, while better wedge players leave themselves 10-footers, naturally making more putts despite similar putting skills.
Michael Clark II's career transformation illustrates this principle. Despite talent, his early professional career was hampered by injuries and an underdeveloped wedge game. His breakthrough came when he embraced his natural creativity around greens, returning to the bump-and-run shots he loved as a boy while also developing high, soft wedges for situations that required them. This wedge versatility helped him overcome swing issues during Tour qualifying school, where he finished eleventh despite mechanical problems, eventually winning the John Deere Classic in his rookie PGA Tour season.
The mental approach to wedge play mirrors good putting: always try to hole the shot rather than just get close, and use a similar routine-look at target, look at ball, execute without delay. Buddy Harston, a former baseball player turned golf pro, transformed his wedge game by applying his athletic instincts rather than overthinking. Instead of pausing to visualize his shots, he learned to react to targets just as he had when making relay throws in baseball, leading to his first professional championship and eventual success on the senior circuit.
Chapter 11
Practice That Actually Improves Performance
Bill Shean, who won both the U.S. and British Senior Amateur championships, deliberately worked on his putting to reach elite competitive levels. During the U.S. Senior Amateur at Charlotte Country Club, he struggled with wet greens that affected his touch. After barely making the cut, he used three hours before match play to practice by putting balls to the edge of the practice green rather than to distant holes. This rebuilt his confidence in his touch, transforming his putting and leading him to his second championship.
The most important factor in putting well is confidence that enables you to see it and do it subconsciously. While some players need minimal practice, others build confidence through deliberate practice. Good putters emphasize short putts (2-6 feet) in their routines because making most attempts builds confidence and these putts are critical for scoring. Dottie Pepper practices by making three consecutive putts from three, five, and seven feet-sometimes taking minutes, sometimes an hour. For practicing touch on longer putts, putting to the fringe or a tee works better than using holes.
The chalk line drill-using a builder's chalk line tool to create a straight line on the green-is the best practice aid, allowing players to sink putt after putt effortlessly without consciously steering the putter. Turning putting practice into competitive games enhances interest and introduces pressure. Options include putting to the fringe with a friend for points, "Look and Shoot" where players quickly putt to each other's holes without practice strokes, or group games where players putt to a distant hole with wagers attached. These games help develop a routine that insulates you from distractions while teaching you to hit practice putts like tournament putts and tournament putts like practice putts.
Chapter 12
The Heart of the Game: When Everything Comes Together
Putting truly represents the essence of golf, as Bobby Jones noted calling it "the most important part of golf." The 1998 Nissan Open playoff between Billy Mayfair and Tiger Woods demonstrates this perfectly. Despite Tiger's reputation and power advantage, Billy's superior putting skill prevailed when the match came down to the short game.
Billy Mayfair developed his unorthodox but effective putting stroke as a boy at Phoenix's Papago Park municipal course, where putting was the only free practice available. Despite winning amateur championships, he struggled when he joined the Tour and began listening to critics who insisted he needed a "classic" stroke. When Billy sought Rotella's help in 1991, he advised him to stop trying to fix what wasn't broken and return to his natural style. This mindset helped him win his first Tour event in 1993 and later the Tour Championship on some of the country's fastest greens.
During his playoff with Tiger Woods, Billy recognized that once both players were short of the green, the contest shifted to his strength-wedge play and putting. With complete focus on his target and routine rather than outcome, Billy made the winning six-footer while experiencing that special state where the ball seems to roll in slow motion.
The principles in this book will work, but only if you apply them consistently for six months to a year. Your commitment will be tested when you miss important putts, as putting is sometimes capricious. People will always try to sell you new techniques, putters, or practice aids, while others will claim putting is impossible to master. To maintain your commitment, focus on the process rather than counting putts. Instead of asking how many putts you took, ask how many times you failed to execute your mental routine. Good putters recognize when their commitment wavers and quickly recommit. The reward is substantial-you'll love the advantage you gain over players who grumble about putting, the confidence on three-footers, the ability to rescue seemingly lost holes, and that perfect moment when confusion burns away and you see the line clearly.
