Have you ever heard the phrase that golf is a lot like life? Well I like to think that life is a lot like golf.

Asking for a raise from your boss is like trying to make a four foot putt to win the club championship. You know you deserve it. You have worked hard and put in the time, but for some reason you are nervous. Palms sweat and your heartbeat quickens, you even get butterflies in your stomach. Once you are in his office, you forget everything you rehearsed in your mind and begin to think about all the reasons you won't get the raise, and how you are going to have to explain it to the wife. But, then calm overcomes you and everything becomes clear and concise in your mind. You tell the boss all the reasons you deserve the raise and the ways you have saved him money. Your boss softens his usual menacing glare and nods his head in agreement, and before you can even finish your thoughts he says, "It's done. Your right, you deserve it." All is well in the world and you leave the office feeling like you won.

That example shows why you need confidence in yourself to be a good putter. Harvey Penick says that when you spend time with friends make sure that they are good putters. Did he say this because you would acquire their talent to keep the clubface square to the target line through osmosis? No. He said it because you can acquire their ability to be confident that they are going to make every putt they step up to. When a good putter misses a putt, it is never his fault. It is usually a spike mark. (Even though most courses have a soft spike only policy)Sometimes the caddie read it wrong, or there is always the dreaded golf gods that did it. Now they owe him one. Confidence in putting means you have to trust and believe in your stroke no matter how bad you feel inside. You should always have the feeling, not in the back of your mind, but right there in the front that the putt you are standing over is going into the hole.

Why are kids such good putters? They don't know any better that's why. There are no memories of missed 3 footers or bouts with the yips. Every putt to them is a new beginning, a new chance to put the ball deep in the bottom of the cup. Think like a 6 year old when you putt. Memory loss is good when it comes to golf and don't forget it.

Visualization helps with confidence. Instead of thinking about what the consequences will be if you make or miss the putt. Stop thinking with your brain and use it to make a movie in your head. This movie should be about a little white ball being struck with the most perfect stroke imaginable. It should end with the ball falling in whichever side of the hole you want and making that wonderful clunking sound that every golfer in the world is addicted to. Then do it.

The putting stroke is short and simple. This is why the brain tries to make it more complicated. Learn to shut off the brain and visualize. Become Tony Robbins once you step onto the dance floor and only think good thoughts. Before long you will find that not only four footers become easier, but asking for that next raise does too.

Learn more about this author, Jason Coffin.
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