If you are anything like me then you have lost count of the number of times you have stood on the green scratching your head and asking yourself 'what could possibly have gone wrong with that putt'? It was the ideal putt, you had the perfect target line, you struck the ball as well as you had ever done and it didn't go in the hole.

Okay, so it is time to go back to the practice green, but this time we are going to take a bit of non-golfing kit with us.

If you have ever watched builders in action you will almost certainly have seen them using a small tool to mark out lines onto a surface, perhaps as a guide for cutting. The tool is a small container filled with chalk from which they can pull a string. They then position the string where they want to mark the line, pull it tight and 'snap' it against the surface rather like pulling back a bow string and releasing it to leave a clear and perfectly straight chalk line. This tool, which can be purchased cheaply and any good hardware store, is your extra piece of non-golfing equipment.

Once on the practice green choose a flat area over which you want to practice and use your newly acquired tool to 'snap' a target line for your practice.

Next, put your ball onto the chalk line and take up your stance ready to putt. Once in position with your eyes directly over the ball just take a few moments to practice the art of focusing on your ball, the hole and the target line all at the same time.

Now take your shot and note just what is happening as you putt. For example, as you take your putter back in preparation for the shot does it stay over the chalk line? Having taken the shot is the blade of your putter still over the chalk line? Once the ball is moving, is it rolling along the chalk line?

If your ball is moving off the target line then something is wrong with your putt and you need to identify the problem and fix it. So what could be going wrong?

The first problem might be that the blade of your putter is not staying on the target line as you take it back in preparation for your shot.

The second is that the blade of your putter is slowing at the point of impact which will cause it to veer off the target line.

The third is that club head is not following the line to the target during the forward swing, which is generally a sign that you are anxious and have 'tightened up' while taking the shot.

If you can correct your swing so that the blade of your putter remains directly over the chalk line throughout your entire putting stroke you will find that your putts start running straight and true.