Keep all these elements in tact, and you should see improved putting in no time. .

Standard rule of thumb. Five foot putt, bring (sweep) your putter back five inches, follow through five inches.

Why do most putts miss? Because stance and putter head are NOT square to target line (for such cool people playing this game, isn't word square used a lot?).

Put this in your muscle and visual memory bank:

Use a square tile floor. Place putter head along one of squares, and align your feet using square pattern of floor to be, well, square to target.

Now, take a little peek down target line. MEMORIZE that look. That is a square look, and that's cool!

Where Should Your Miss Land??

One of major differences between Tour pros and weekend player is that Tour pro focuses on where he wants his "misses" to land. For example, if green is sloped back-to-front, Tour pro will choose a club that will make sure that he leaves his approach below hole so that he has an easier, uphill putt for birdie.

You should do same thing. Instead of just walking off yardage and choosing appropriate club for yardage, take a second to study green to see how it's sloped. If it is sloped severely back-to-front, take one less club or choke down on club a bit.

Or, if it is sloped hard right-to-left, aim well left of hole (assuming hole isn't cut tight to left side of green near trouble). By leaving your approach shots on proper side of hole, you'll find yourself three-putting or four-putting a lot less.

What are three worst words in golf?

Wedge, Putter, Wedge (OK, if you don't get it, email me, and I'll explain..)

Michael Hamilton is an accomplished golfer, and editor of Golf Tips Weekly Newsletter. His most recent book can be found at: http://www.free-golf-tip.com/golfebook.htm

First, keep following in your mind when judging your putts or chips.

1. Examine "Grain:" The term 'grain' is simply direction is which grass grows.

This can be determined by looking for 'shine' or 'sheen' of putting surface.

When green reflects sun and appears brighter, you are looking down grain.

Putts down grain, or with grain, will run faster.

Another method of determining grain is to stroke your putter in fringe just off putting surface (make sure you are on fringe and not on actually green).

Fringe grass usually has same grain as green.

2. Read Contour: When waking to green, study general slope of land.

Remember, most greens are built higher at back and lower toward front. This will definitely impact how you play a shot on green...or even as you approach green.

When you are putting from front of green (assuming that it slopes downward from back to front), putt will be uphill. When you are putting from back, downhill.

Any putt across such a green will usually break toward front lower portion of surface.

These are simply good "general" rules to keep in mind as you approach green.

Now, think about these 2 elements (Contour and Grain) together.

- Putts running with grain will tend to "run" faster.

- When you are putting cross-slope and your putts are running with grain they will break more.

- And likewise, if you are putting cross-slope against grain, your putt with break less.

- When you putt against grain...give it a little "more." Your putts will tend to run slower so you may leave it short more often if you aren't careful.

- When you putt downhill, with grain, you putts will not only run faster but they will break more.

- And opposite is also true. If you are putting uphill, against grain, expect your putts to run slower and break less.

By keeping these very simple "rules" in mind and reading greens as you approach you should be able to improve your consistency on greens and sink more putts.

Plus, everyone knows...you drive for show and putt for dough.

Michael Hamilton is an accomplished golfer, and editor of GolfTips Weekly Newsletter. His newest book can be found at: http://www.free-golf-tip.com/golfebook.htm