On average nearly half of your golf shots are on or around the green. The reason that practicing putting and short chip shots is essential to playing good golf.

That's why lately I've been spending much time on the practice putting green. Two or three times a week I drive by after work and spend an hour or two putting around.

I've developed my own practice program. I make a loop putting around the perimeter of holes. Two is even and putt ins count for one under. Three balls per hole. I am not allowed to make a single three putt. Every single putt counts, even the very short so-called easy tap ins. This keeps one sharp for the important stroke play tournaments where every hole must be putted out to completion. If I do three putt I have to start all over again.

Sometimes I'm lucky the very first try and make it through all the way around without three putting. If that happens I have to keep on going until I three putt and then start all over again. I keep on going for an hour or two. A couple days ago I made it through the first round at eight under. Another time I kept three putting the first hole and had to restart three times, made it to the second hole and three putted that hole and on and on. Sometime I make it to the very last hole and miss the very last two foot putt.

When I've had enough putting for the day, I head on over to the chipping green. There I can practice short chips from the fringe and just outside of the fringe in the rough. This usually goes on for half an hour, but I cannot leave until the last ball is chipped into the hole.

I find this ritual very relaxing and peaceful. Often I'll look at the clock and see that two hours have gone by without realizing it. This is a mental game which sharpens my mind and allows me to escape from the stress and chaos of the real world. Funny how the human mind likes these kinds of games and gets re-energized by whacking around a little white ball into these round holes in the ground.