Putting can be challenging, and even the professionals have difficulty at times. Missing your putts can be incredibly frustrating, and the quickest way for your score to blow out.
You need a routine and a set of putting drills that you can follow regularly when you practice. Learning how to be consistent with your putts can help separate the good golfers from the mediocre ones. Here are a few tips to help you take your putting to the next level.
Take careful note of your surroundings
As a general rule, if your putt is uphill, read it from behind the ball; if it’s downhill, read it from behind the hole. But to accurately assess both distance and slope, it’s best to examine your shot from all angles before you play it. Putting is all about the contour of the ground, so you need to get a clear view of the distance, slope and undulations of the ground. Looking at your putts from different angles will give you a better idea of how you can best deal with the contours of the green and get that ball in the hole.
Judge the distance correctly
It’s an all-too-common error for golfers to under-read their putts by judging the distance inaccurately. Many players wrongly perceive the location of the hole as closer than it is. This leads to your ball falling frustratingly short of the hole.
Correct this error by judging your distance from the side of the putt, not from behind the ball. You’ll be able to perceive the correct putt length much more accurately. Point your putter at the ball, and then move it between the ball and the hole on an imaginary line that the ball will take. Do this at the same speed you want your putt to roll, as this helps your brain achieve that speed when you actually hit the putt. Using your eyes and hands together enhances the performance of your brain, and thus your putt.
Imprint the distance in your mind before returning to your ball.
Judge the slope correctly
Golfers who read the greens well tend to work off horizontal, and this is a good strategy to have in your toolkit. It can help before you putt to find a horizontal line in the background when you look over the green. Bodies of water, window lines on clubhouses or benches all work well. This will help you judge the slope of the green more accurately and give you a reference point when tracking the break of the green. If you can’t find a horizontal line to use, try using the brim of your cap to create a horizontal right above your eyes.
Get the right grip for putting
When you grip the putter, your dominant hand should be lower on the club. Right-handed players should set up with their left hand at the top of the club. Grip the handle firmly to help control your stroke.
Get your alignment right
How you set up to the ball is extremely important when putting. First, make sure the ball is square to the line of target. Then you need to hit your putts out of the centre of the squarely aligned face of your putter head.
If you can start the ball on your intended line, your putts will be far more successful. To put it in perspective, a ball that starts only 1 degree off its target line will be more than 5cm wide of its target by the time it reaches three metres. If it’s off by more than that, you won’t be getting anywhere near the hole with your putts.
To help with this, try using an alignment stick when you practice. This is a simple and effective way to ensure your ball doesn’t go too far off track.
For more about making sure your alignment is correct, have a look at this short video.
Fine-tune your stance
Start by standing straight and tall, with your arms extended forward. Hold the putter in the correct grip. Bend your knees slightly, bend over and place the head of your putter behind the ball. Draw your elbows into your rib cage. The ideal position is to have the ball around two-and-a-half putter lengths from your toes – although you should experiment to find your most comfortable and effective distance. Your eyes should be directly over the ball.
Keep in mind that while this stance is ideal, your stance and posture can change slightly depending on the slope of the green and where you are aiming.
Keep your head still
Many golfers find their head gravitating towards the target as they prepare to hit the ball. This is problematic, as moving your head can cause the club face to open or close just enough to miss the putt.
As you set up for your putt, try and keep your gaze on the position of your golf ball. This will help you keep your head still and your position steady, and you’ll be able to maintain better control of your stroke. If you can kick this habit, you’ll have a much better chance of making your putt.
Improve your stroke
As you prepare to hit the ball, move your putter back smoothly. The putter should be swung backwards and forwards at the same speed, giving the appearance of a very smooth stroke. Try and make your putt feel more like a roll rather than a hit, as this will help you control the distance better. Rather than hinging at your elbows or wrists, aim to hinge at the shoulders as you swing. And ensure you keep the putter fully in line with the target throughout the swing.
Try and hit the back of the ball during your upswing. Keep your wrists firm and your shoulders level, as this will improve your accuracy and control.
To understand more about the club face and its influence on the ball, click here.
Get the right angle of attack
Hitting your putt at the right angle is extremely important. A useful drill is to place a stick on the ground running parallel to your shoe line, about 6-8 inches behind your ball. Then practice hitting your putts without hitting the stick. It may feel a little awkward at first, but once you can hit an even stroke that consistently clears the stick in both directions, you have a better angle of attack on your putts. This gives you a slightly upwards arc through impact, which will significantly improve your putting.
Follow through correctly
While it may seem that a putt might not need much of a follow through, this is not actually the case. Using a short follow through on your putt is a mistake. Your putt follow through should be at least as long as the takeaway. But make sure you follow through with your putter, not your eyes. Don’t look up straight away to check the progress of the putt. Keep your eyes on the spot where the ball was for two seconds, before looking up to see where it is going.
Make sure you are using the right putter
The importance of using a putter that is correct for you cannot be underestimated. The putter needs to be the correct length for you. See a professional to help you find a putter that’s the right length for you. Using the right length putter is important to help you get your set-up right.
You also need to make sure that your putter is not too light or heavy for you – or for the conditions. If you have difficulty controlling your putter, it might be too light for you. You’ll find it difficult to get a smooth backstroke, follow through and distance control. If it’s too heavy, you’ll find it hard to get any kind of distance control. As a general rule, use a heavier head weight for slower greens, and keep your lighter head weight for faster greens.
Drills to improve your putting
Clock face drill
Set up four balls on a putting green at equal distances from the hole. Having the balls about half a metre away is a good place to start. Then aim to hit them one at a time into the hole. Each time you succeed at getting all four in, set the balls up around half a metre further away from the hole. If you don’t manage to get all four balls in, you have to start again at the beginning. This should help improve your accuracy and consistency.
Putting with your eyes closed
This helps you learn to read distance, slope and speed accurately. Once you’ve viewed your putt from different angles, set up for your putt and fix the position of the ball and the hole firmly in your mind. Then close your eyes and hit your putt. This drill will help you feel the mechanics of the putt better and how your body needs to work to get the best result.
This drill works best for short putts only, however.
Putting down a book path
This is one you can try at home. Find two large books and position them on your carpet with enough distance between them so that your putter can just fit. Position a ball in front of the books, then make practice putts, trying to keep the putter face square and the path of the putter straight. If you don’t succeed with these aims, you will hit the books. This type of immediate feedback is invaluable in improving putter position.
Develop a great putt
As with most things, success in putting doesn’t just happen. It comes with learning and applying correct technique and then practicing – a lot. There are no shortcuts. Follow these tips and drills to help you develop a smooth and accurate putt that’s repeatable under pressure.
For more on how to practice like you’re playing, see this short video.
