Try Aaron Rai’s simple tip to make more putts.
PGA champion Aaron Rai does some quirky things, like wearing two rain gloves, putting head-covers on his irons and using colourful tees. However, one thing he does on the greens is anything but peculiar and might be a reason he’s playing so well. It’s also something you can steal.
En route to winning his first major in May, Rai led the PGA Championship field in strokes gained and made a 68-footer for birdie on the 17th hole on Sunday. Credit his focus for that putting performance. In addition to adding the initials of family members on his golf balls, he also draws a line all the way around them and adds a small dot in the middle [above].
The line is a common addition for alignment, but the dot is the thing you might want to copy. He stares at that tiny circle for a few seconds before taking the putter back, and that helps him make the best stroke possible. It’s a technique known as “quiet eye”.
Staring at the dot calms the brain, prevents the eyes from moving around and results in a cleaner stroke. This strategy might be particularly helpful if you tend to take a peek when you hit important putts. “It keeps my head steady,” Rai says.
Photograph by Luke Kerr-Dineen