How many times have you had a downhill putt you knew was very fast and you only hit your first putt about halfway to the hole? Or, you’re faced with an uphill putt and you end up blowing it way past the hole, leaving you with that tricky little downhill putt?

The problem here is that you’re allowing your brain to dictate how you stroke the ball. Unfortunately, as remarkable as the brain is, it doesn’t know how to putt a golf ball. Here’s how the brain works: The brain sees all putts as though they’re flat, at least until the last instant - when it’s too late. Your brain knows the ball is 14 feet, 6 ½ inches from the hole.

You set up to the ball and pull the trigger. The brain and body take over, which is just what you want. You’re allowing your body to do what you’ve trained it to do: A long smooth stroke, keep the putter moving through the ball, towards the hole. You draw the putter back to hit the ball exactly 14 feet 6-½ inches and then it happens - your brain finally kicks in and says, “Wait! This is really fast, so hit it easy.” You do your best to slow the putter down so you don’t blow it way past the hole. You know the feeling - it’s like driving your car with one foot on the accelerator and the other foot on the brake.

Or, in the case of an uphill putt, your brain says, ‘Wait a minute…this is going to be slow, so hit it hard.’ How can you hit it harder when you only took the club back far enough to move the ball 14 feet, 6-½ inches in the first place? Here’s how: You jab it up the hill, probably about four feet past the hole.

The next time you’re on the practice green try this: Find a spot that would be a fast downhill putt and play a couple of balls to this hole. Do you feel yourself “putting on the brakes” so you don’t hit it too far? Next, pick a spot that’s half or a quarter of the way to the hole. This is the target I want you to putt to. You may have a 10-foot putt, but you mentally move the hole to a point just two feet away. This way you take the putter back to hit the ball two feet. You put a good two-foot stroke on the ball and allow the slope of the hill take the ball the extra eight feet.

Don’t change your stroke to compensate for the slopes you’ll encounter on the greens. Keep the same stroke and just move the hole so your brain works for you, not against you. A little practice moving the hole around can pay off big time on the scorecard!

Kim Anders is the Director of Golf at Estrella del Mar Golf and Beach Resort in Mazatlan. An accomplished player early in his career, he nearly starved to death when he tried playing for a living. Kim now focuses on the administrative side of golf and helping others find enjoyment in the game. Contact Kim at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .