Your Best Putting Techniques

[pat008]

putt to the picture”—look at the pin, then create that picture in your head, look back at the ball and then take the putt.

[Arrt]

left hand down.

[Simonlap]

my advice on putting is a pretty known one. Create yourself a pre-putt routine. For me it's:

First thing I do is figure out if I'll be putting uphill or downhill. (For most putts, I figure that one out while other players are putting)

2nd: Choose the line I wish to hit my ball on. (this usually takes only 15 seconds at the most)

3rd. I walk up to my ball set myself up just next to it and make 3 practice strokes. First one while looking at my ball, second one looking half way between my ball and the hole (but along the line that I will putt my ball), and third one looking at the hole. (This whole process helps me to gauge how hard I will hit the ball)

4th: I take my stance look at the hole one last time, then back at my ball and I hit my putt.

Ever since I have implemented this routine, I have greatly improved my putting.

My 2 cents, I'm no pro or anything.

[puttputtputt]

This is my virgin post, but I feel it is something I know about. I am now a scratch golfer but for the last 10 years I have been known as a good ball striking 4 hdcp with the putting stroke of a 20 hdcper with the yips! I have 1 tip and 2 drills.

First the tip...the transition from back stroke to forward stroke needs to be SLOW, SMOOTH and UNHURRIED!!!! If the transition is the least bit jerky or hurried the toe or the heel will lag behind. With this in mind if you do the following two drills religously I guarantee your putting will improve rapidly.

You will need 4 balls and 2 tees for both drills.

1. Place the 2 tees, a ball and a half apart in front of the hole, to form a gateway to the hole. Next place the balls in a line at 2ft.,3ft.,4ft., and 5ft. from the hole. Now putt the balls in order through the gate starting with the 2ft. putt and finishing with the 5ft. putt. Count 1pt. for the 2ft. 2pts for the 3ft. 3pts. for the 4ft. and 4pts. for the 5ft. Do not leave the putting green until you have made a total of 16pts in any 2 attempts. The best putters in the world control the putter face to 1/4 of a degree to square. The 2 tees represent a 1/2 degree variance at 5 ft.
2. The second drill is also a 10pt game. Place the two tees 3ft. apart and 18 inches behind the hole. Now place the balls in a line 10ft.(1pt) 20ft.(2pt) 30 ft.(pt) and 40ft(4pt). The object of this drill is to make the putts but if they miss the should stop between the hole and the tees. Once again do not leave until you have made 16pts. in any 2 attempts.

If you can do these two drills with just a few attempts...then go work on your long game 'cuz your putting is awesome!!!

[Hearzy]

This is my virgin post, but I feel it is something I know about. I am now a scratch golfer but for the last 10 years I have been known as a good ball striking 4 hdcp with the putting stroke of a 20 hdcper with the yips! I have 1 tip and 2 drills.

First the tip...the transition from back stroke to forward stroke needs to be SLOW, SMOOTH and UNHURRIED!!!! If the transition is the least bit jerky or hurried the toe or the heel will lag behind. With this in mind if you do the following two drills religously I guarantee your putting will improve rapidly.

You will need 4 balls and 2 tees for both drills.

1. Place the 2 tees, a ball and a half apart in front of the hole, to form a gateway to the hole. Next place the balls in a line at 2ft.,3ft.,4ft., and 5ft. from the hole. Now putt the balls in order through the gate starting with the 2ft. putt and finishing with the 5ft. putt. Count 1pt. for the 2ft. 2pts for the 3ft. 3pts. for the 4ft. and 4pts. for the 5ft. Do not leave the putting green until you have made a total of 16pts in any 2 attempts. The best putters in the world control the putter face to 1/4 of a degree to square. The 2 tees represent a 1/2 degree variance at 5 ft.
2. The second drill is also a 10pt game. Place the two tees 3ft. apart and 18 inches behind the hole. Now place the balls in a line 10ft.(1pt) 20ft.(2pt) 30 ft.(pt) and 40ft(4pt). The object of this drill is to make the putts but if they miss the should stop between the hole and the tees. Once again do not leave until you have made 16pts. in any 2 attempts.

If you can do these two drills with just a few attempts...then go work on your long game 'cuz your putting is awesome!!!

I like this post. I will try this next time I am out on the practice greens.

Thanks

[puttputtputt]

Hearzy,

Post back after you've tried it a few times and let me know what you think.

[JWWRMA]

I would say that I am a good (not great) putter, and I play with a Yes blade putter which is very sensitive to off center hits. Off centers are either a push or a pull, and I am doing that too often lately; especially on short puts. I discovered (doh) that my putter has a sweet spot that, like an iron, feels more "buttery" when I catch it properly. So I started to focus on hitting the sweet spot, which meant I had to watch the head all the way through the swing to make sure I connected i the center of the putter. Viola, far better accuracy, and also far better distance control.

[jeffc]

I have 2 thoughts when I putt.

1. Alignment. Is everything aligned to where I want the ball to go? If so, then move to thought 2.

2. Speed. It's the last thing in my mind before I hit a putt.

Of course this is coming from a guy who is averaging about 38 putts a round these days so take it with a grain of salt.

[dhacker1956]

Count 1pt. for the 2ft. 2pts for the 3ft. 3pts. for the 4ft. and 4pts. for the 5ft. Do not leave the putting green until you have made a total of 16pts in any 2 attempts.

1. The second drill is also a 10pt game. Place the two tees 3ft. apart and 18 inches behind the hole. Now place the balls in a line 10ft.(1pt) 20ft.(2pt) 30 ft.(pt) and 40ft(4pt). The object of this drill is to make the putts but if they miss the should stop between the hole and the tees. Once again do not leave until you have made 16pts. in any 2 attempts.

If you get 5 pts then 4 then 3 then 2 then 1 how will you ever get 16 pts. 5+4+3+2+1=15?

[puttputtputt]

If you get 5 pts then 4 then 3 then 2 then 1 how will you ever get 16 pts. 5+4+3+2+1=15?

I apologize if my post was not clear. You never get 5pts for any putt. You get 4pts. for making the 5ft. putt. 3pts for making the 4ft. putt. 2pts for making the 3ft putt and 1pt. for making the 2ft. putt. Therefore the maximum you could make in a single attempt is 4+3+2+1=10. You can stop the drill when you make 16pts or more in any two attempts at the drill. For example say your attempts look like this.

1. 8pts
2. 6pts
3. 7pts
4. 7pts
5. 10pts

You could finish the drill after 5 attempts because 8+10=18 and that is greater than the desired goal of 16pts in any two attempts .

[WillyC]

I apologize if my post was not clear. You never get 5pts for any putt. You get 4pts. for making the 5ft. putt. 3pts for making the 4ft. putt. 2pts for making the 3ft putt and 1pt. for making the 2ft. putt. Therefore the maximum you could make in a single attempt is 4+3+2+1=10. You can stop the drill when you make 16pts or more in any two attempts at the drill. For example say your attempts look like this.

1. 8pts
2. 6pts
3. 7pts
4. 7pts
5. 10pts

You could finish the drill after 5 attempts because 8+10=18 and that is greater than the desired goal of 16pts in any two attempts .

Great suggestion, thanks!

[WillyC]

If I'm inside ~15 feet I'm mostly concerned with line because I have the feel to get the speed right.

If I'm outside 15 feet I'm mostly concerned with speed because I probably won't make the first putt, but I really want to leave it within a few feet.

On putts over 15 feet, I stand part way to the hole and count out 5 foot sections by eye to get a good feel for the distance. Then when I'm making practice swings beside my ball I say that distance +/- 3 feet to myself ie 25 feet = 22 to 28 feet. I find that really helps leave the long putts close.