Putting should be so easy. You’re rolling a ball 20 or 30 feet, even two feet, and yet you struggle. The prob- lem likely is not your swing path or face angle or that new putter you think you need. The issue is, you’re thinking about the path or face rather than being con- nected to the target and just playing . What do I mean? All golf- ers work on their putting technique on the practice green. Eyes over the ball. Swing back straighter. Don’t let the face open. Those thoughts might be great when you’re practising, but on the course, they don’t work. Out there, you should be visualising what you want the ball to do, not grinding over technique. I teach my students something called “bridge work.” It’s the connection between skill acquisition and on-course play. Let’s assume you have the basic putting skills – you can read break, aim your putter, start the ball on line and so on. The next step is get- ting in a performance state when you’re playing that lets those skills come out. That’s what bridge work does; it trains you to use sensations and visualisa- tion that connect you to your intention – the target. It moves your attention away from mechanics and onto the task at hand. You stop thinking and start playing . – WITH PETER MORRICE
THE HALO DRILL CHECKS YOUR CONTACT
focusing on “seeing” the ball after you strike it. In other words, keep your eyes still, and you’ll see a halo or outline of the ball after it’s gone ( above ). That image will stay in your vision until you shift your eyes. See it for two or three seconds, and you know you’re doing it right. This drill helps you strike the ball flush without thinking about mechanics. You’re focusing on an image, not trying to translate thoughts into actions. Seeing the halo is a better task than, Keep my head still. You already know how to hit the ball solid. If you ditch the thinking part, you’re in a better place to actually do it.
I want you to try this first drill and the ones that follow on the practice green, but you’re really training yourself to approach putts in a different way on the course. The Halo Drill promotes solid contact, which is how you produce a predictable roll. It also prevents one of the most common putting faults at any level – peeking too soon. Pick a 15- or 20-footer on the practice green and set up as you normally do. Here I’m using the Bridgestone MindSet ball I developed with Jason Day, but you can use any ball. Hit some putts
98 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026
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