If you’re a confident golfer, you might be tempted to challenge your friends to a round of putt putt golf. Golfers are great at putt putt, right? You might even begin to wonder – can playing mini golf make you an even better putter?
Mini golf is a popular pastime for many people who have never even picked up a golf club. That doesn’t mean they can sink their ball in one stroke the first time they play on a course. The skills are not exactly parallel. In fact, some golfers might worry that playing can harm their golf game.
How it Hurts
While it seems like good practice, the conditions on a putt putt course are very different from real greens. The speed of fake grass is nothing like actual grass. Don’t be surprised if real putting makes your mini game worse, and vice versa.
In addition, your putter at home will be significantly better quality than the mass-made cheap neon putters used in putt putt. Your putter and the mini golf club are weighted very differently. You’ll have to make some adjustments when you switch between them.
Also note the putt putt balls are not Titleists, or anything close.
To combat these issues, do some practice putts on the practice greens at the course before you play 9 or 18 holes. You should reset your swing to be for your club and for the real grass.
How it Helps
While you might need to make some adjustments to your swing when you switch between golfs, mini golf can teach you some valuable skills that you can apply to your course game.
Playing mini golf requires a lot of strategy, mainly in analyzing the slope of the putt putt course and the obstacles. This can assist you in analyzing the slope of the greens and strategizing for your long game. You will become a better analyst of golf course positioning if you’re used to playing the “mini version.”
If anything, you may find that by practicing regular putting you will get better at mini golf. Ensure that your skills are first and foremost suited for the real golf greens. After that, note how your practice on the course translates. Once you’ve practiced real course putting extensively, invite your friends out to mini golf. You’ll blow them all out of the water.
Playing mini golf is also a great way to get your children to participate in your sport. If you want to raise the next Tiger Woods, read How to Get Your Kids Into Golf.
