Let’s talk about putting this month.  First of all, understand that putting is NOT, "A game within a game," as some say.  It IS the game!  It combines perfect distance and perfect direction!  Don't make comments, or even think that putting is somehow not golf, or some separate game. It IS the game, and we all need to appreciate it for what it is, the essence of golf.  Talk of it as a science if you must. But I would rather think of it, as Ben Crenshaw does, as an art!  Thinking of putting in this way can change our whole attitude! 
 
So, how do we practice this "Art?"  I like to practice the two essential aspects separately.  You can practice distance and direction independently, and then on the course put them together.
 
To work on distance, take nine balls to the practice green.  Look for a 20- to 40-foot putt, preferably on a slight slope.  Divide the balls into three groups of three balls apiece, about three feet apart.  Stroke each putt randomly going from group to group. The object is to roll each putt about a foot past your target.  Then separate them again and putt the other direction.  All the time you will be developing a feel for distance.  Another way is to stroke the putts toward the fringe, and try to die the ball right at the edge of the fringe.  Remember to alternate distances frequently, this is how you gain a feel for the green.
 
To work on direction, I like to stroke the ball at a smaller target.  I love the smaller cups that you see on a few practice greens these days.  But I still favor putting at coins.  I like to place a penny at the precise point that I'm aiming at on a four-footer that breaks slightly.  Get used to hitting your coin consistently and the cup will be easy!  Make a game of it!  Then when you get a little confidence, extend the coin out to work on 10 or 20-foot breakers in this way.  You will be surprised at how this will help your direction and your green-reading ability.
 
Lastly, keep the mechanics simple.  Putting is so over-complicated, but really isn't it just "Back and Through?"  Isn't that what the great putters do?  Combine that with a little tempo, your own tempo and you're set.  Keep grip pressure light.  On a scale of one to ten, make your pressure about a 3 or 4 and see if the putter doesn't swing much smoother?  If you have trouble seeing this smooth back and through motion, then knock either end out of a shoebox, and work each night and morning in your room by letting the putter swing within this shoebox.  Back and through, back and through, smooth tempo, let it swing...It can almost become hypnotic!
 
Hope these ideas help you to become an 'artist' on the greens!

Mike Reid