We have often heard that practice makes perfect. That statement is truer when it is said that perfect practice makes perfect. Who likes to practice putting? The guys on the Tour did it but it was not their favorite thing to do. They would rather play or hit full shots, even though they absolutely knew that their income depended on their good putting.

Practicing putting is not much fun. In fact it is boring. Is there a solution? Yes. Im going to share a couple games and contests I involve my students in when we talk about putting. Its fun to watch the students at a school pick up on the idea of the game and get very serious about it. They spend more time having fun putting during the school than they have any time prior to the school. The one person games I did as a young golfer. My contest was to make the putts before I could have lunch. Sometimes it got very hungry.

21 is a game for two or more that I was introduced to while I was an assistant at the Philadelphia CC. There were three assistants at the club and we often had time to play 21. When I was the golf professional at the Biltmore Forest CC, the manager and I would play 21 every Sunday after dinner. It was fierce, good competition.

Putting games for one and more.

All of you spend 50% of your practice time on the putting green, right? Probably not. Practicing putting is not usually fun! It is important, but standing on the putting green and hitting putts for hours is not very exciting. Let's change all that and make practice fun and worthwhile!

Let's talk about ways to practice putting that will be meaningful and fun. If it's not fun you won't do it, and if it doesn't help, you won't continue to practice. To consistently score low, you must become a very good putter from six feet and closer. I want you to focus on putts of this length and let the longer putts take care of themselves.

Games for one.

The first "game" requires just one person and four golf balls. Place them around the hole at one foot, opposite each other. Make those putts and reset the balls at two feet, then three feet, etc., all the way to six feet. If you miss a putt at any point you must start over at one foot. When you make them all from six feet, you can have lunch. This is also a very good diet until your putting improves.

There is a slight variation to this game which includes placing six balls, starting at one foot, in a slightly curved line one foot apart. Curve the line so there is room for your putter to swing. Keep putting until you miss and then start over. When you've made it from six feet, pick a different line to the same hole. When you make all the 6 footers from four angles, you can have lunch, or perhaps its dinner.

A game for two or more.

The next game is more advanced. You may want to wait to play this game until you feel good about your putting. It needs at least two golfers, and five is too many. You'll like this game. I have played this many, many times and it is always a lot of fun and good for your putting to boot. It's called "21" and here is how it's played:

1. Each player plays with two golf balls and putts both balls before the next player plays.

2. All players play from exactly the same spot; a point can be designated by a coin or a tee.

3. The "honors" on the first hole are selected by chance; flip a coin or spin a tee. Thereafter, the player making the points on the preceding hole is the first to play and the others play according to whoever made the previous points. It's just like honors on the golf course. The order of play can be very important since stymies are the rule. The leading player chooses the next hole.

4. Stymies (not being able to move a ball to clear a line for the next player) are the rule; balls are left where they stop until all players have finished. Stymies also mean that if Player B hits Player A's ball and knocks it into the hole, Player A will get the points. If Player B also goes into the hole, he will get all the points and A will get no points. B can also knock A closer or further from the hole to add a point or take away a point.

5. Points are scored for the ball(s) of one player closest to the hole. If Player A has one ball closer than Player B's closest ball, player A earns one point. If player A has both balls closer to the hole than either of Player B's, Player A earns two points. Player B earns no points in either case.

6. Holes-in-one are more interesting. A hole-in-one is worth three points. However, if Player A makes a hole-in-one and Player B makes one on top of Player A, Player B gets six points and Player A gets no points. Only one person makes points for a hole-in-one, regardless of the number of players. It is possible to make four points on a hole; a hole- in-one and a ball closer than any other player.

7. It is possible to earn one, two, three, four or six points on a hole with two people playing the game. Points can go higher with more people because of the hole-in-one rules.

8. The first player to 21 points or greater is the winner.

9. Any ball that leaves the green costs the player a point.

Option for later on: Any ball that is not within a putter length must be putted in the hole. If the putt is missed, the player loses a point.

With these games you can have fun and watch your putting improve. It will also give you the chance to putt under a little pressure.