There are rounds that escape not from the tee or from the fairway, but when the ball is already on the green. There, in that apparently simple stretch, is where many amateurs give away shots without realising it. Putting does not require power or a spectacular gesture, but something more difficult: precision, reading, rhythm and calm. And that explains why a player can come in hitting it well for the whole hole and still leave with a bitter feeling.
In a field like Golf Club Son Servera, where the undulating greens form part of the character of the course and force you to think about every putt, this difference is even more noticeable. The club, moreover, has a clear vocation for quality, teaching and careful experience for the player, something consistent with its history, its environment in Costa de los Pinos and its commitment to a demanding but enjoyable golf.
Why putting really marks your card
There's one idea that should be ingrained in your mind: every shot is worth the same. It doesn't matter whether it's a solid drive from the 1st or a short putt to save par. They count the same on the scorecard. That's why putting is not an ornament of the game, but one of its most decisive areas.
There is also something treacherous about putting: it magnifies any doubt. A misalignment, a grip that is too tight or a hasty reading usually leaves no margin. The ball doesn't take off, there is no time to correct and the mistake is instantly exposed. That's why many golfers think they fail because of technique when, in reality, they fail because of a mixture of poor preparation and over-tightening.
The 5 most common mistakes in putting
1. Misalignment: the mistake that ruins everything else
It may sound basic, but it is still the most repeated fault in amateur golf. If the face of the putter is not really square to the tee line, everything that follows is born crooked. And the problem doesn't end there: when the brain detects that the club is not pointing where the eye wants it to, it tries to compensate during the stroke. Result: absolute inconsistency.
A very useful reference is to line up the mark or a line painted on the ball with the chosen line. It also helps to look at a small dot a few centimetres in front of the ball, rather than obsessing about looking directly at the hole. This close visual aid greatly simplifies the task of aiming. In fact, several technique manuals insist that lining up with a close target is easier and more stable than lining up with a distant target.
If you want to correct this mistake, do it like this in your practice: mark a line on the ball, place it behind the putt and check that the face of the putter follows that reference exactly. It seems like a minor detail, but it is not. A misaligned putt almost never has a real chance.
2. Thinking too much about technique
Another common fault: wanting to “manufacture” a perfect putt instead of hitting it naturally. Once you have a reasonable stance, correct alignment and a functional grip, the stroke should not be filled with mental commands. If during the stroke you are thinking about the angle of the club, the takeaway, the wrist or whether the shoulder is going well, you are too late.
Putting, more than a question of aesthetics, is a question of image and feel. On long putts, for example, rhythm is more important than obsessive mechanics. Some classic texts on putting insist on just that: at long distances, the player gains control when he concentrates on smoothness and tempo, not when he tries to control every inch of the stroke.
Here the best correction is not technical, but mental. Before you hit, visualise the ball rolling down the line you have chosen. Some players imagine it going into the hole; others prefer to see it “backing up” from the hole to the ball. The important thing is to arrive at the shot with a clear picture, not a list of internal instructions.
3. Place the ball in a different place each time.
Few things punish consistency as much as unintentionally changing the position of the ball. If one day you take it more centred, another more delayed and another more advanced, the point of impact changes, the face arrives differently and so does the roll. Many players then believe that the problem is their stroke, when in fact the error was already in the address.
The most widespread reference is to place the ball approximately under the dominant eye or slightly ahead of the centre, depending on sensations and stroke pattern. The important thing is not to copy a universal measurement, but to always repeat the same one.
If you want to check, there's a simple test: position yourself as if you were going to kick and drop another ball from the vertical of your dominant eye. That drop will give you a pretty useful reference of where you are actually placing the ball in relation to your stance.
At the same time, the address should be checked. Many amateurs slouch too much, separate their arms too far from their bodies or place the ball too far back. This combo tends to result in poor, unsound shots, with the face arriving awkwardly at impact.
4. Gripping the putter with too much pressure.
This error is almost epidemic. As soon as tension sets in, the hands become too active, the forearms become loaded and the shoulders stop moving freely. The putt loses fluidity and starts to come out forced.
The correct pressure is not soft to the point of loss of control, but soft enough to allow the club to move without stiffness. The putter grip should allow movement to come from the shoulders and arms, not from a hand stroke.
A good way to find that measurement is to experiment on the practice green. Do several sets by intentionally changing the pressure: one too hard, one too light and one in between. Your own body will soon tell you where the most stable stroke appears. The textbooks are pretty much in agreement here: too much force on the grip tightens the forearms and makes it difficult for the movement to be natural.
5. Playing with bad tempo
Tempo is that silent variable that many alter without realising it, especially when nerves get the better of them. A short putt to save par, a compromised second putt or a bad streak can lead the player to accelerate suddenly or, just the opposite, to slow down out of fear. And then distance control disappears.
In putting, the tempo should feel similar again and again. Distance is not built by hitting “harder” at the last minute, but by adjusting the range of motion and maintaining a recognisable rhythm. When the tempo breaks down, the stroke loses truth.
If you notice that you are leaving putts short or overshooting without a clear pattern, don't start changing half a technique. Check your rhythm first. Get back to a simple feel: serene backstroke, clean transition and steady pace through the ball. In many cases, the problem lies there and not elsewhere.
How to train putting with more head
Most people putt badly because they putt unintentionally. It's not just about throwing random balls from hole to hole. Before a round, for example, the most useful thing to do is to calibrate your speed, not to try to sink 20 putts in a row as if you were already competing.
To work well, separate objectives. One day, focus on alignment. Another, distance control. Another, on short putts with an intermediate point in front of the ball. It's also a good idea to take the time to read the drop shots from various angles, because a well-interpreted green makes it much easier to execute.
And here Golf Club Son Servera makes a lot of sense as a real training scenario. Not only because of its history and its unique social club atmosphere in Mallorca, but also because its course combines enjoyment with demand and features undulating greens that force you to refine your reading, touch and patience. This mixture of landscape, quality of maintenance and well-understood golf culture is part of its identity.
Final thought
Improving your putting doesn't always require reinventing your technique. Often it is enough to stop making repeated mistakes: aiming wrong, over-tightening your hands, changing the position of the ball, speeding up because of nerves or mentally complicating a gesture that should be clear.
When you correct that, the green stops looking like a threat and becomes an opportunity again.
If you want to put these settings into practice in an environment that invites you to play with calm, precision and genuine golfing pleasure, Golf Club Son Servera is the perfect place to do it. Amidst pine forests, sea views and a course with a personality of its own, practising your putting here is not just a matter of technique: it's also a way of enjoying golf as it should be enjoyed.Book your departure now!
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