Michael McTeigue - Bulletproof Putting in Five Easy Lessons: The Streamlined System for Weekend Golfers

Illustrations by DavidWenzel

2014 by MichaelMcTeigue

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved

No part of this bookmay be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever with the writtenpermission of the author.

Printed in the UnitedStates of America

ISBN: 9781311157324

Smashwords Edition,License Notes

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Also by MichaelMcTeigue

The Keys tothe Effortless Golf Swing

Curing Your HitImpulse in Seven Simple Lessons

Ebookedition

For every golfer whowas ever spooked

by a three-footputt.

With Love

to Linda, Mindy, &Melody

With specialappreciation

to Ken Bowden

Foreword

I was familiar withMike McTeigues teaching because I had read his 1985 book TheKeys to the Effortless Swing during the time I was the SeniorInstruction Editor at GOLF Magazine. It was a groundbreaking bookin many ways and it had caught my attention.

The first time Iactually met Mike McTeigue was when I had flown out from New Yorkto his home base in Silicon Valley to work on an article with himfor Golf Magazine. I knew Mike was a very smart guy based on theconversations we had already had and the information we hadexchanged about an idea he had brought to us that we wereconsidering turning into a cover story.

I drove from the SanFrancisco airport to Mikes office in Sunnyvale and as I pulledinto the parking lot, there were four geeky looking men in theparking lot driving a remote controlled mini-vehicle over a pile ofrocks off to the side of the driveway. I stopped and asked themwhat they were doing. The response: Were testing some new wheelsfor the Mars Rover. Mike hadnt told me his offices were locatedinside a NASA test center. At that point I knew this wasnt goingto be a typical golf instruction article, and it wasnt.

We spent the daytogether and it was literally and figuratively as close to rocketscience as I ever got writing golf instruction. It was clear thatMike was thinking about the swing and game at a much higher levelthan most of us in the industry. The result of that trip was one ofthe most interesting full swing articles GOLF Magazine ever had thepleasure of publishing and it actually turned into a series ofarticles that ran for several months after the cover story becausewe couldnt fit it all into a single story.

That Golf Magazineseries was published nearly two decades ago, so after all thistime, I was very excited to see what Mike had put together for hislatest golf book. Once again, his ability to break down, examine,and reassemble any complexity in the game is on full display inBulletproof Putting.

In this beautifullyillustrated volume, he has blended a deep understanding ofstatistical analysis, the art and science of reading greens, thebiomechanics for creating a repeating stroke, the mindset of greatputters and the keys to efficient practice into an easy tounderstand package.

I cant wait to seewhat his next project will be, but Mike, please dont wait another30 years!

LorinAnderson

President,Proponent Group

Introduction

"The man whocan putt is a match for anyone."

-Willie ParkJr.

Did you ever walk offa green feeling like you had just been shot full of holes? You hita superb approach shot eight feet above the hole. Your birdie puttcaught a piece of the cup but spun three feet by. Then you left thethree-footer SHORT OF THE CUP, turning a makeable birdie into apitiful bogey. Or maybe, on a tough par four, you hit a sweetmid-iron shot thirty-five feet from the hole for a nice paropportunity. Unfortunately, you left the first putt waaaaay short,then mad at yourself blew the second putt four feet past, and -no, dont say it! - missed the lousy four footer, turning aprobable par into a nasty double bogey.

Weve all been there.Setbacks like these on the putting green can blow up a decent roundand leave us shaking our heads and muttering in disgust as we headto the next tee. On the next green, even a simple two-foot tap-inprovokes dread. If youve endured experiences like these and wantto avoid them forevermore, the Bulletproof Putting System (BPS) isfor you.

Why is a puttingsystem called bulletproof? Because it protects you much likebulletproof vests protect SWAT teams. You might take some hits, butyou wont get whacked on the greens. You wont see your puttingfall apart and your game spin out of control. Your bulletproofsystem will minimize the damage and keep your head in the game.

One vital secret ofthe Bulletproof Putting System is it reduces the chances for FUD fear, uncertainty, and doubt to take control. It protects youfrom debilitating negative thoughts that creep in uninvited andcause an easy putt to become pure mental anguish. Youll feelsecure in the confidence that you are a good putter and you have asystem that works for you. Youll even enjoy the chance to apply itto those tricky three and four foot putts that aggravate all ofus.

This system isstreamlined for the weekend golfer. I am assuming youdont devote countless hours to practicing and playing, and thatyoure not interested in investigating the analytical complexitiesand subtle nuances of manipulating the flat stick. You simply wantto sink more putts while feeling confident on the greens, right? Ifyou typically are taking thirty-five or more putts per eighteenholes, the Bulletproof Putting System can help you consistentlysave five shots or more per round. Wouldnt you like to lower youraverage score by five shots this season? In this little book, Ioffer you a simple, precise system that you can choose to useexactly as prescribed, but you also can modify many elements tosuit your personal preferences. When something ishighly-recommended, I call it out clearly.

Who Cares About Putting?

The next sectionintroduces the elements of the bulletproof system, and subsequentlessons present each of them in detail. But first, lets look at afew reasons why you can benefit greatly from embracing the BPS andimproving your putting, instead of spending nearly all of yourprecious practice time beating balls with your full swing.

Consider theseobservations:

1. Putting comprisesat least forty percent of your shots and maybe more.

2. A two-inch puttcounts as much as a 300-yard drive.

3. The minisculeleave on a putt you should have made is as painful as a penaltystroke for a ball lost in a hazard, and it is the easiest penaltyto avoid.

4. The putt is theleast complicated shot to execute, requiring the least athleticability of all golf shots. Almost anyone can develop a bulletproofputting game just by focusing on a few simple concepts andtechniques.

5. The fastest way tolower your scores is to improve your putting. It is supremelydifficult to improve your long game enough to hit five more greensin regulation per round, but it is quite feasible for the weekendgolfer to take at least five fewer putts in eighteen holes.

6. Good putting buildspositive momentum. Finishing a hole by sinking a good putt givesyou a boost of confidence that carries you to the next tee andnext green in a positive frame of mind. It also can unnerve anddemoralize your opponents to watch your bulletproof putting holeafter hole.