Put you short game on ‘Ice’, says golf course owner Wes Mickle

So you didn’t play half badly out on the green today. Really? Does that me you played ‘half good’? Whatever the case, putting is half the game, and Wes Mickle has an idea of how to put your putting game on ‘Ice’, so to speak.
Consider this – if the course you are playing on is a par 72 and you have 2 putts per hole for 18 holes, that equals 36, which is half of 72. Since most golf courses are par 72s, your goal should be for your short game not to count for more than half of your score.
There are many different putting styles, but Wes Mickle believes that the putter face should stay as close to square to the line of the putt throughout the swing as possible. As for the type of putter to use, this again is a very personal decision. Mr. Mickle says he can’t do without his putter, called the Ice Cube.
The Ice Cube is made of a clear acrylic, and it’s easy to aim at the hole because only the line is visible – it’s almost like aiming a rifle. It has a very soft feel when striking the ball, giving the putter more control. Wes Mickle feels that most golfers can improve their short game by using the Ice Cube.
Most golfers spend most of their practice time on the driving range, banging away on their driver. This is not bad, because the driver hit properly sets up the second shot and makes it easier. The second shot on a par 4 is what I call the money shot. The closer you get to the hole, the more putts you are going to make overall.
But Wes Mickle says most golfers don’t hit the green in regulation. On the second ‘money shot’, the average golfer will only hit the green about 50 percent of the time. That’s where the chipping game comes in. The closer you chip to the hole, the easier your putt will be, and you will have fewer putts. In this sense, a 3-foot putt counts as much as a 300-yard drive.
So what technique does Wes Mickle use for a good putt? Well, putting consists of three parts.
The first is accurately reading the line of the putt. Assessing whether the putt is uphill, downhill, or side hill, and last but probably the most important, lagging the ball the correct distance to the hole. Reading the putt can be accomplished by the use of the plumb bob. A plumb is simply a tool used as a vertical reference line. The putter itself can be used by holding it up loosely between your fingers and letting the putter shaft dangle straight down as you down the line between the ball and the hole.
Judging whether the putt is on a side hill or a sloped hill is usually only learned through practice.
Finally comes the stroke lag, or putting stroke. By using the correct stroke lag, you can assess the force of your putt to get the ball as close to the hole as possible. If you miss, a good stroke lag will leave you only inches away from the hole. But if you miss the putt by two feet on either side of the hole, you still only have a two foot putt to make to make par.

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