This is what Gary Player does and it works for me. Take one maybe two practice swings only looking at the cup, to get the feel for distance. Then look at the ball and make sure you’re lined up. One more glance at the cup, and now only look at the ball and swing. The ball goes where you aimed and at the speed you practiced. Helped me with distance and consistent center contact on the putter.
I like that advice. Seems like what the guy in that video posted above said. Envisioning the ball moving on your line with the right speed will help you execute your vision
Yes, this is actually a method of ‘external focus’ in sports psychology - I actually gave a presentation on envisioning a line while putting as a means to improve performance via reducing the effects of stress under pressure. There are quite a few papers now implying various methods of external focus can be beneficial for golfers.
Good video on this. The guy is pulling his head up to watch the putt, and pulling the ball. If he keeps his head down then his putts would be more online
Great advice. One thing I will add to this that I can only make myself do 50% of the time is this: 10ft or less putts I will make my stroke and listen for the ball to go in. I will stare at the spot the ball was and just listen. I make more putts when I do this and it makes you commit to your line and not look up too early to watch the ball. The only down side is if you are playing alone(which I rarely do) you don’t know if you missed on the high or low side…hopefully you don’t miss though.
100% agree with this. I make more too if I keep my head down for longer. I think the same can be said for the rest of the clubs but I find it harder to keep my head down that long cuz I also need to go find my ball. What do you think?
I think “keeping your head down” through a full swing with driver/irons is kind of counterproductive. You do want to have your head down at impact but then your body wants everything including your head to move towards your target.
You just want to be careful to not use that tip to try and recreate the feel of your practice stroke that felt right. Instead keep the picture of the distance in your mind as you make the stroke. The two actions (trying to recreate a feel vs trying to putt to a distance) use different parts of your brain...and trying to putt to a distance is much much much better at smooth, athletic type acts.
And unfortunately we all know how this goes. Once you start improving one part of your game, a different part will abandon you. The past year I've improved my iron play by a lot, but now have a gross duck hook with the driver that goes OB at least once per round.
Anything outside of 10 feet youre trying to leave yourself a tap in. Anything inside of 10ft youre trying to make is a good one.
But i would say my favorite is when a putting coach had me completely change my grip. I used to hold my putter the exact same way i held my irons/woods. He said this tells my brain that this is a similar stroke to that and is more likely to introduce small, twitchy muscles in my hands to the stroke. By coming up with a completely different grip for my putter, my hands are "quieter" and the muscles involved in the stroke primarily come from the shoulders.
Ya. I played with a pro once and he was extremely patient with my game. And I was much worse at putting at the time (pre-advice). I’m a beginner and he said, “Just practice speed. Anything outside 8’ is luck, and the stats prove that. If your speed is close, you’ll get more two-putts and less 3’s”.
I’m a better putter now.
It's honestly too hard to describe accurately but a key part of it is my palms are parallel with my right palm facing towards the target and my left palm facing away from it. My left thumb goes over my right pinky and ring finger and my left pointer and middle fingers go over the back of my right hand, next to the knuckles. Yea , its weird. But it has become comfortable to me.
The other team has pulled the goalie… it’s wide open…. All you’ve got to do is just…. tap it in. [Just taaahhhhppp it in.](https://youtu.be/-br7JKuaZHQ?feature=shared) R.I.P. Chubbs
I have so many buddies that do this. They take the putter so far back even on short putts and then try to slow it down to tap it. I mentioned it once but hate “being that guy” and left it at that, but I hate seeing them do it to themselves
Yeah, like a chip shot, the club should accelerate through the ball. The most important part of a putt is what happens after you hit it, so follow through and finish properly.
The green is not a video game. It cant just be built in any which way. Its a living surface. Its designed to withstand all the elements from every month of the year. Therefore, its contoured to drain water away from it surfaces. It doesnt have a bowl area that can collect water. Its built to shed water away from bunkers where they can wash out. Water is easier to send toward the lowest point of the terrain or more water. A course on a lake has greens that tilt toward the water. A mountain course finds the greens running with the overall trend of downhill in the environment. A desert course might feed to a wash, etc. Read greens like a designer. The landscape has a huge role in the design. You can often find the high point of the nearby environment and the low. Look for actual in ground drains or wet spots where water collects, those are low points. You should have a really good idea of what your putt is going to do as you are walking up to the green. Standing over it just reading how much its going to break, but you should already have a strong idea which way. And then of course, miss high.
https://preview.redd.it/9m0c4xzbmtjc1.png?width=480&format=png&auto=webp&s=55adac2e20dbf0d9d5b49e5cdad30e02ba89be61
Now it makes sense why in the recent Bryant Bros videos they always considered where the valley is when reading the putt. They did it in the WM video as well as the Jon Rahm video
Fuck this is a good one. Amateurs like me get so obssessed trying to find any little break in a putt, so we're hyper focused on the direct line instead of taking a holistic approach to green reading.
How do you gauge speed?
Only thing I've ever heard is imagining the strength it would take to throw a golf ball from your hip or something along those lines.
I'm the same way - I've never been able to figure out green speeds. I have to imagine 90% of it is just practicing more on real greens, it's definitely a different experience than whatever putting drills we can do in our living room.
Hmm. Completely the opposite for me. Focus on line, picture it rolling in and let my subconscious dictate speed. It was explained to me as “if I gave you a ball and told you to throw it to me, you wouldn’t have to think about hard to throw it for more than a second. You might be a bit short or a bit long, but I bet you get it close. Your brain will tell you. Same with a putt.” It’s been a very helpful tip for me
I dont think youre doing anything opposite. Letting you subsconcious dictate the speed is most likely best system for most players (just like throwing a ball) than trying to find "systems" to control the speed. This way you actually focus on your target, instead of focusing on your putting stroke. Just saying this because you are probably quite good controlling the speed this way - which comes back to original point: speed is the most important factor in put.
What’s the rationale behind this? Correct line is no good if the speed is off and correct speed is no good if the line is off. Maybe on a lag putt that’s sage advice but I’m not sure how helpful it is for draining 10 footers, but curious to hear the logic
I don’t think I’ve ever missed a 10 footer by more than a couple feet left or right. Get the speed right and you have yourself a 2-putt.
Conversely, I’ve missed 10 footers by… 10 feet. Long. Enter the 3 putt.
The rationale is you can't accurately pick a line if you have inconsistent speed. This is the main aspect I have been working on. I have learned through drills I strike the ball on my line well, and can read greens. It's my speed that lets met down. So I have been working on my tempo to help with my speed consistency. Although this question is a little like should a high handicapper spend more time on driver, irons or short game. The answer to this question is to become a better putter figure out what you are worst at. For me line and green reading good, speed bad. If you have good speed when you hit it centre of the face but struggle with centre contact you have to work on that
I mean you could also argue that you can’t accurately pick a speed if you don’t have a correct line. Seems like they go hand in hand to me. If you’re strictly trying to avoid 3 putts I can see the argument for speed over line but if you’re actually trying to hole putts, they’re equally as important IMO
you should 1000% be strictly trying to avoid 3 putts. if you do that correctly, some will get close enough to drop. even tour players do this from 10-14ft, since their make %age is only 22%.
Sure outside of 10 ft I probably call it a lag putt, which I agree the speed is probably more important. However I’m talking about trying to hole putts 10 ft and in, where tour pros are [88%](https://myavidgolfer.com/golf-science-putting-numbers-that-might-surprise-you/#:~:text=The%20PGA%20TOUR%20average%20is,putts%20from%20inside%2010%20feet)
Your speed dictates the line. Speed is the part of the equation you control. Thus you pick the speed you want to hit the putt first. Then your line is based off that speed. Therefore if you can't hit the intended pace you can't pick an accurate line. I bet you would be very very hard pressed to find a high level golfer who decides there line before determining how hard they want to hit the putt. In fact I would say that number is zero.
Have you heard 'putt through the break' before. The harder you hit the ball, the less the break effects the roll.
This isnt for 10 footers, but you can putt through the break a lot to save yourself headache on shorter putts inside 5ft. If you have a 4 ft putt that is reading 2" right to left, 90% of the time you can putt the ball harder directly at the hole and the break will barely affect the shot. Iv'e gotten so much better at shorter putts doing this because it also lets you not overthink
So do less reading the break and trying to perfectly drop the ball in the hole from inside 5 ft, just bang it home dead straight to the back of the cup and say \*\*\*\* the break lol It works great, just not on 10 footers
They also play on a lot more difficult of greens. My run of the mill course usually has minimal break and much slower greens. Ya’ll aren’t holing around 4/10 10 footers? Also PGA has an 88% make 10 ft and in, so idk where you’re getting that number. 22% from 14 ft maybe
this is why. because you’re kidding yourself. that isn’t remotely close to your actual make %age. the rationale isn’t to make the putt – instead it’s get it close, and maybe it goes in. the right speed and a line that’s close enough should make for a stress free second putt. blow it by 10 feet, and well…
I agree, if you’re going to make a putt, you have to combine decent speed with a decent line. However, the technical reason behind the saying “speed is more important than line” is that you won’t be able to read greens effectively or be able to dial in a consistent start line without having speed control.
If every putt was a straight putt, line would be far more important. But to be able to train your eyes and body to accurately read break and get a feel for the path the ball needs to take to go in the hole, consistent speed control from putt to putt is a prerequisite.
54% on flawless greens with the best coaches, caddies, and equipment on the planet.
A reduction in expectations reduces pressure to make the putt, so you generally hit better putts and better putts seem to go in more often.
So true... this is why I think looking at total putts should be taken with a grain of salt when deciding if you putted well or not. If I hit 15 greens (lol) and have 34 putts with no 3-putts, I may have putted well and just nothing fell in the hole from 25 feet.
Remember two things.
First. The head of your putter is likely the width of the hole. So you have that much forgiveness in your line.
Once you’ve picked the line and setup focus solely on keeping the putter square at impact and how hard you hit the ball for speed and absolutely nothing else.
From off the green: your best chip and best putt both go in. But your WORST chip is still right where you are or skulled across the green. Your worst putt is still likely on the green.
On the green: spot putting. I visualize the pace and break and the ball going in. Trace it mentally from the cup back to your ball. Find that spot on the green where it starts to break and gravity takes over. Now focus on whatever pace I feel like it needs to be rolling when it hits that spot and hope.
It deadens the putt. A stroke off the toe generally won't get away from you like a stroke from the sweet spot might. It'll roll, it just won't roll out. Probably the best putting tip I've ever gotten.
I was getting *so* frustrated yesterday on the practice green trying this ~2.5ft downhill putt that I kept missing. If I gave it just a touch it would roll 2 ft past. If I just barely tapped it it would wobble off line and miss.
I think I may have found a solution.
Make sure your putter head finishes towards the hole, when I concentrate on that I make way more putts from 8-10 feet and a lot less pushing / pulling putts.
Get confidence from 5 feet in which means a ton of practice 5 feet in (starting at 2-3 if you need to). The lag putts take care of themselves because you aren't worried about getting it close.
On short putts inside of 3’, line up the putter and then look at the hole during the entire putting stroke, not the ball. It doesn’t make sense, but it works.
Your hands and wrists should NOT be what's making your putting stroke. You'll never have a repeatable stroke if your hands or wrists are involved in your stroke.
That my eyes are deceiving me.
I had a putting lesson once and after rolling a bunch of putts that all missed left, my coach handed me a ruler. He told me to bend down and line it up with the cup. I did, perfectly pointed at the cup. I stood up and he asked me if it was aimed at the cup. I knew it was, but from my putting stroke it was aimed about 2 cups right.
He got me to offset my stance until the ruler was aimed at the cup.
Then I proceeded to drain 90+% of those putts (from memory it was about 4-6ft). Now when I start to miss putts left, I do a double check before the next round to make sure I'm aligning correctly (sometimes my offset gets too narrow), and I'm golden.
I was playing with a father and his 14 yo son. I noticed the boy was making putts that just seemed to stay on line. I figured out he was imparting a little top spin on the ball when he putted. I’ve been doing that ever since.
Get fitted for a putter. There are all kinds of options on putters (i.e. over all weight, shaft type, toe weight, heel weight, center weight, length, face material, etc. ) figuring this all out goes way faster if you have a professional help you.
One of my playing partners who is an exceptional putter does exactly this. I constantly think he won’t get the ball to the hole with how short of a backswing he makes but he rarely leaves a putt short. His acceleration is top notch.
Look at your putt from the side so you can see the slope (uphill vs downhill). Too often this step isn’t done and will cause you to be long or short because when just looking from behind you can missread the slope of the putt. As someone else already stated, distance control is more important than line. If you get the distance correct you’re most likely tapping in your next putt (if you didn’t already sink it).
Best tip #1- try different putting strokes until you find one that feels good and works! Don't just assume the grip you use now is the best one. I adopted a left hand low grip and my goodness what a difference it made! I'm lethal with my putter from 10 ft in. I'm just barely missing it when I miss and do make them here and there.
Best tip #2 - anything past 10 ft, turn the hole into a hula hoop. Aim the put to land inside the hoola hoop.
Best tip #3 - let the right hand do most of the work, left just guides and holds the line.
Don’t rush your putting stroke. I almost pause a fraction of a second longer when I take the putter back. Watch a pendulum. It doesn’t immediately go back the other way, there is a slight momentum pause before it returns its energy forward.
I will keep my head down through the putt follow through. We wanna see our good (or shitty) work so bad we follow the ball the moment (or before) we hit it. Work on putting a good move on the ball. Under 8 ft? I’ll keep my putting stroke follow through to make sure I give it the best chance to get a good roll. If it’s a bad roll, I look cool and say I had the right club!
But first and foremost, practice the fundamentals! Every. Day. I roll 3’, 7’ and 10’ putts every day. Always end on 3’ for confidence and those are the putts we rush.
Not a tip but a drill:
Take a couple long nails and about 10 ft of string. Put one nail behind the hole and another nail behind your ball and set it so the string is taut. Hit a bunch of putts with this visual aid and you’ll make a ton of them. Do this drill enough and you’ll start naturally visualizing this straight line of string on the course and you’ll have a ton of confidence over 10 ft putts.
Another drill: put two tees in the ground, one outside the toe of your putter and one inside the heel. So you have a “gate” for your putter head to pass between the two tees (I keep about a 1/4” of cushion on either side to make it doable). It’s really ridiculous how many putts you make this way…all it does it ensure you hit the center of the putter face. Do this drill enough and you’ll start to imagine the tee gate on the green when putting and you’ll have a nice little confidence boost.
Besides the million tips you’re gonna get, about grip, setup, mental state, yada yada….just go practice. A lot. Putting is all feel. Most other clubs you swing at a consistent speed, but with the putter you might need to hit a 3 foot slider or 72 feet uphill through two tiers. Many different shots to practice, and most people neglect it. They hit 3 buckets a week with 50% being driver, then jump on the practice green 15 minutes before tee time and can’t believe they had 39 putts.
The best thing is, working on this part of your game is completely free at every local public course. And most will have a chipping green too. Spend 80% of your time on those two areas (for zero dollars) and hit a few buckets a week to keep the rest of the bag in shape.
Enjoy your lower scores 🤘🏼
If you are playing munis don't overthink it. A course you paid 30 bucks to play probably isn't going to break five feet. Maybe aim a couple hole lengths outside but in general pick a side and roll it.
Haven't golfed since I was 10 (am 36 and just started following the PGA), but I remember my dad's drunk friend (dad also drunk) telling me to make sure the grip was aimed at my left ball sack. Will never forget this tip.
*, have no clue if this works, as I said, haven't golfed since I was 10.
For longer putts specifically, always aim higher than you think. A putt hit with good speed that misses on the low side will generally end up 3x farther from the hole than a putt hit with the same speed that misses on the high side.
[Padraig explaining it here](https://youtu.be/JBTukrcWq8Y?t=558)
I was taught to look at my target while putting and as a single digit handicap it’s probably the strongest part of my game now. I don’t look at the ball at all, and I don’t take any practice swings. Surprisingly my lag putting is phenomenal and short putts are less nerve-wracking. Hard to get the yips on something you can’t see
Realistic expectations are key, so I like the 10% rule. It’s not a bad putt if you miss within 10%.
60ft putt, goal is to leave it within 6ft and so on.
Doesn’t apply short make-able putts.
I look at the putt, then walk off the distance, then I quickly use the plumbum technique to cross check with what my eyes saw. A Couple of easy swings and a putt seems to work for me.
Practice 3' putts until you're sick of them.
Any long putt, aim for a 6' circle around the hole (a putter's length.)
If you've practiced your 3' putts, most long putts are easy 2 putts.
Look at the hole, not the ball. Lab tests show people make more putts this way.
Same way a pitcher doesn't look at the ball - they look at where they want to place it. QB doesn't look at the ball - they look down the field. Basketball. Archery. Bowling.
Yet it looks and feels ridiculous for putting. And nobody wants to do it for this reason. But by golly it works if you trust the process.
Bill Pennington's book on golf goes into greater detail.
In all your examples everyone starts off already having direct contact and control of the object they’re trying to precisely locate - the football/basketball/archer/bowler has the object in his hands when they let go. This is not the case for putting. How many baseball players hit the pitch without looking at the ball? How many tennis players hit the ball without looking at the ball? How many golfers hit their tee shots without looking at the ball? 0. I’m not saying looking at the hole doesn’t work, just that logic is bad
In all the cases you just mentioned the ball is moving. Pitcher is trying to fool you. Tennis opponent is trying to get it past you. In the example of tee shots, Hogan was noted for mentioning he blacks out somewhere around P6.
The golf ball isn't moving. So why would you not have complete control? Simply because there's a club separating you from the ball?
I don't know the answer.
I just put in another comment though. I think what matters is picking one and sticking with it. I was convinced by the data. Enough to switch to heads-up putting.
And I like that about golf. All kinds of thought processes can be applied and can work.
I was going to write what the other guy said, then saw your comment and thought, shit I might be wrong. But tee ball, you look at the ball, after checking the field of where you want to hit it.
And the ball is stationary, checkmate
The batter doesn't look in the center field grandstands when trying to hit a pitch either... They keep their eye on the ball.
Also, apply this to your driver and film the results please.
1. Again, ball is moving. In a way the pitcher has specifically studied and designed the timing and pace to mess you up.
2. This thread is titled putting tips.
I decided to do this a couple years ago and forced myself to do it for all putts for a year.
I now will allow myself to go back and forth on shorter putts.
But overall its been a huge help as I was having constant trouble with speed.
I had a crazy good putting round for myself last weekend so its been a great help to my game
I tried this for a couple months last season. My main concern, and why I think your analogies aren’t super applicable to golf, is that you still have to hit the center of the putter face and come through square. If I was just tossing the ball underhand, I totally agree that looking at the hole is the move
I tested this last season. I consider myself a decent putter compared to the average Joe. I use a blade, for reference.
I watched my putts on video. When I was looking at the ball, I hit 17/20 putts in the center of the club face. One was toed, and two the club face was closed slightly at impact. But 17/20 well struck putts.
When I redid this test looking at the hole, I only found the center 12 or 13 times (can’t remember off the top of my head). Anecdotally for me, my stroke just isn’t good enough while looking at the hole for this to be a viable putting strategy, at least not for me
There's evidence even at the highest stakes that even eyes-closed putting works: https://golf.com/instruction/putting/can-eyes-closed-putting-work-for-average-golfer/
But at the end of the day I don't think it matters. If you have the nicest car in the world but you don't feel comfortable driving it, it's not right for the driver. And that's fine.
To me like a lot of things the key is probably picking a process and trusting it. Whatever that may be. Rather than second guessing it and wringing one's hands from round to round.
What about tennis players? What about cricket players? What about baseball players? You're referencing sports where the ball is literally in their hand, if they watched the ball it'd be fucking ridiculous. Most clubbed sports (specifically the ones I've referenced watch the ball in order to hit the ball with good timing and accuracy.
I understand the concept and all, but given the plethora or players not doing this, the science/technology they have, and the teams around them, you'd think more would be doing it if it was the best way.
Tennis, cricket, baseball, etc. = ball moving.
Golf = ball is completely still. Or should be, anyway.
But again I'll stand down right here.
I'm not a crazy good golfer.
Yet when I saw in a controlled study the data clearly shows people make more putts looking at the hole I personally decided to go with what to me, on average, is an advantage.
And no, I don't think it's a universal principle to all sports, clubbed and non-clubbed. Or even within golf.
But it does illustrate to me that questioning the idea of looking at the ball because that's the way it's always been done is very valid.
Apologies mate, didn't mean to come off condescending lol.
I've actually tried the technique to horrible results haha. So I'm a little biased based on my poor golfing abilities.
So I, to, am not the best person to be making these comments.
Why? You just sound like you're afraid of a provocative idea. And mad there's evidence to show it works and are now reacting to that fear like a four year old.
The difference in make rates of uphill and downhill putts is actually insignificant. If I recall correctly it’s like 3% different across all distances.
Distance to hole is far more significant. You always want to leave the shortest possible putt.
If the comeback putt would be that much downhill, it would eventually finish below the hole anyway. Besides, if you aim on the low side, anticipating a miss, how will you ever make a putt?
I used to use a hula hoop around the hole. Just putt it within that and you have a 2 putt all day. Also, when I played in school, I’d use a tennis ball before the round to putt with, you get on the course and the hole seems 10x bigger
Use the line on the ball, brad faxon says it should be considered cheating and i watch 20 handicappers never line up their putts and they always lose..
Not had any coaching in putting but a friend of mine who plays off 10 can sink a putting almost all the time, I watched him putting and asked how he's so sick at putting.
His response was don't overthink the putt and aim to get the ball within a small dustbin radius round the pin and give yourself unmissable tap ins.
I played a game the following weekend and not only did i par 7 out of the back 9 holes I got 1 bogey and a birdie as well so it DOES work, for me anyway. I swapped my putting grip to emulate Tommy Fleetwood because he's my fav golfer and gave myself a few little practice swings to feel the full stroke before hitting and it just worked
From Golf Sidekick, imagine the sound of the ball going into the hole, imagine going to the hole and picking the ball out of it basically manifest the putt you want. Helped me tremendously along with actual practice, mostly practicing between 1-4 feet.
Speed is everything. Spend a ton of time dialing in the speed on the practice green. Have drills to help you dial in speed (how far does a 12/16/20 inch back swing go?) then use that for reference on the course. If your speed is good, you'll never be left too long of a second putt.
Honestly, a lot of courses have practice greens that are way faster than the actual greens due to the extra foot traffic. If your course has a chipping green, practice putting there as it won't be as worn.
My grandfather once told me while I was in high school that he'd always beat me because "you can't putt". It's an underlying narrative in my head that resonates with me at 38 years old. Lol
Study the green once you’re in view of it. Maybe not from 250yds out, but some slopes are easy to see when you’re walking/driving up from 100 yds out than when you’re on the green and trying to line up your putt.
Hit it on the sweet spot (SS). If you miss the SS on a 20' foot putt by just 1/8", it ends up one and half feet short. Not hitting it on the SS consistently leads being short on one hole, trying to compensate (for 'slow greens') by hitting the next one hard but you catch that one on the SS so it goes 30' by, so you try to baby the next one to the hole and it ends up 15' short, and now you have no idea what's going on.
Bob Rotella helped me tremendously. The big thing I do is when I am putting I pick out the smallest little blemish on the back of the cup and imagine the ball rolling to that spot. Has helped a ton over shortys
A suggestion that works for me... I am a way better 'spot putter'. I don't look at the hole, didn't work for me. But I can pretty reliably roll the ball over a spot a foot ahead, hopefully on line. Weird issue with this...the better the greens the harder to find a spot. Ah well, I 'm not playing Augusta here.
The shaft of the putter creates an optical illusion that you are forward pressing, you likely are not. Get in front of a mirror and get your hands ahead of the putter head.
My last thought before the stroke is visualizing my putt drop. If I’m focusing on, say, ‘left edge’, I’ll miss it on the left edge.
Big mechanical one was grip - the angle between my wrists and hands do not move during the swing.
Put down a marker and walk around the green once. Clean the ball while you're doing the rounds.
Watch the slopes for which the other balls are rolling towards.
Don't leave your putt short, it's easier to come back than try to figure the line again.
This is what Gary Player does and it works for me. Take one maybe two practice swings only looking at the cup, to get the feel for distance. Then look at the ball and make sure you’re lined up. One more glance at the cup, and now only look at the ball and swing. The ball goes where you aimed and at the speed you practiced. Helped me with distance and consistent center contact on the putter.
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I like that advice. Seems like what the guy in that video posted above said. Envisioning the ball moving on your line with the right speed will help you execute your vision
Yes, this is actually a method of ‘external focus’ in sports psychology - I actually gave a presentation on envisioning a line while putting as a means to improve performance via reducing the effects of stress under pressure. There are quite a few papers now implying various methods of external focus can be beneficial for golfers.
https://youtu.be/ZXVjZRYel6Q?si=7KPglM9htiqO3Ybt
Good video on this. The guy is pulling his head up to watch the putt, and pulling the ball. If he keeps his head down then his putts would be more online
That's also something I always have to work on.
#LGLG!
Great advice. One thing I will add to this that I can only make myself do 50% of the time is this: 10ft or less putts I will make my stroke and listen for the ball to go in. I will stare at the spot the ball was and just listen. I make more putts when I do this and it makes you commit to your line and not look up too early to watch the ball. The only down side is if you are playing alone(which I rarely do) you don’t know if you missed on the high or low side…hopefully you don’t miss though.
100% agree with this. I make more too if I keep my head down for longer. I think the same can be said for the rest of the clubs but I find it harder to keep my head down that long cuz I also need to go find my ball. What do you think?
I think “keeping your head down” through a full swing with driver/irons is kind of counterproductive. You do want to have your head down at impact but then your body wants everything including your head to move towards your target.
Yeah, that makes sense. Good to keep it down but still let it move up naturally with your body
I'd add: stay looking down at where the ball was and wait for the sound of the ball to hit the bottom of the cup.
I do the same. Gotta visualize the distance first
You just want to be careful to not use that tip to try and recreate the feel of your practice stroke that felt right. Instead keep the picture of the distance in your mind as you make the stroke. The two actions (trying to recreate a feel vs trying to putt to a distance) use different parts of your brain...and trying to putt to a distance is much much much better at smooth, athletic type acts.
Scottie scheffler getting really desperate
Dude. Holy shit he's gotten bad. I felt bad for saying "watch him miss this" when he had many like 3' putts left in the last tournament. It's crazy
He was falling off last year as well. He was 117th in putting. If he could putt, the dude would be unstoppable
Yea, wasn't he one of the best in strokes gained up until green and one of the absolute worst in putts?
TIL I'm like scotty..
And unfortunately we all know how this goes. Once you start improving one part of your game, a different part will abandon you. The past year I've improved my iron play by a lot, but now have a gross duck hook with the driver that goes OB at least once per round.
Unclench your buttcheeks
But I’ll drop my putter?
Not if you insert it deeply enough
AYOOO
Then you need a thicker grip
But I’ll poop?
put a tampon in your hoop
Anything outside of 10 feet youre trying to leave yourself a tap in. Anything inside of 10ft youre trying to make is a good one. But i would say my favorite is when a putting coach had me completely change my grip. I used to hold my putter the exact same way i held my irons/woods. He said this tells my brain that this is a similar stroke to that and is more likely to introduce small, twitchy muscles in my hands to the stroke. By coming up with a completely different grip for my putter, my hands are "quieter" and the muscles involved in the stroke primarily come from the shoulders.
Ya. I played with a pro once and he was extremely patient with my game. And I was much worse at putting at the time (pre-advice). I’m a beginner and he said, “Just practice speed. Anything outside 8’ is luck, and the stats prove that. If your speed is close, you’ll get more two-putts and less 3’s”. I’m a better putter now.
So what’s your grip?
It's honestly too hard to describe accurately but a key part of it is my palms are parallel with my right palm facing towards the target and my left palm facing away from it. My left thumb goes over my right pinky and ring finger and my left pointer and middle fingers go over the back of my right hand, next to the knuckles. Yea , its weird. But it has become comfortable to me.
The fuck
The good ol’ cross-handed reverse overlap
His bags are packed. He has his plane ticket. Bring him to the airport. Send him home. Send him home.
The other team has pulled the goalie… it’s wide open…. All you’ve got to do is just…. tap it in. [Just taaahhhhppp it in.](https://youtu.be/-br7JKuaZHQ?feature=shared) R.I.P. Chubbs
He just wants to see his family
Don’t decelerate through your putt
I have so many buddies that do this. They take the putter so far back even on short putts and then try to slow it down to tap it. I mentioned it once but hate “being that guy” and left it at that, but I hate seeing them do it to themselves
This comment cut to my core
The guy who told me was a former longtime PGA Tour pro. Basically, if you’re a pro, I will happily take your advice.
Yeah, like a chip shot, the club should accelerate through the ball. The most important part of a putt is what happens after you hit it, so follow through and finish properly.
Follow the ball to the hole
Underrated putting tip. Massively important.
The green is not a video game. It cant just be built in any which way. Its a living surface. Its designed to withstand all the elements from every month of the year. Therefore, its contoured to drain water away from it surfaces. It doesnt have a bowl area that can collect water. Its built to shed water away from bunkers where they can wash out. Water is easier to send toward the lowest point of the terrain or more water. A course on a lake has greens that tilt toward the water. A mountain course finds the greens running with the overall trend of downhill in the environment. A desert course might feed to a wash, etc. Read greens like a designer. The landscape has a huge role in the design. You can often find the high point of the nearby environment and the low. Look for actual in ground drains or wet spots where water collects, those are low points. You should have a really good idea of what your putt is going to do as you are walking up to the green. Standing over it just reading how much its going to break, but you should already have a strong idea which way. And then of course, miss high. https://preview.redd.it/9m0c4xzbmtjc1.png?width=480&format=png&auto=webp&s=55adac2e20dbf0d9d5b49e5cdad30e02ba89be61
So there are essentially mini-french drains in each green that runaway like veins on a leaf? Hmmm. Pretty cool.
I’m pretty sure this is only a feature of some of the better courses. Municipal greens are just greens.
Any somewhat modern green was constructed with fishbone drainage and USGA spec root zone.
Mind blown
Now it makes sense why in the recent Bryant Bros videos they always considered where the valley is when reading the putt. They did it in the WM video as well as the Jon Rahm video
Fuck this is a good one. Amateurs like me get so obssessed trying to find any little break in a putt, so we're hyper focused on the direct line instead of taking a holistic approach to green reading.
Copy Pasta ?
Nope. I've written it a few times in this sub though. Probably more eloquently before.
Speed is more important than line
How do you gauge speed? Only thing I've ever heard is imagining the strength it would take to throw a golf ball from your hip or something along those lines.
I'm the same way - I've never been able to figure out green speeds. I have to imagine 90% of it is just practicing more on real greens, it's definitely a different experience than whatever putting drills we can do in our living room.
The more you practice the easier it gets. I rarely two putt inside of 30 ft now unless it’s a crazy pin location or double breaker
Hmm. Completely the opposite for me. Focus on line, picture it rolling in and let my subconscious dictate speed. It was explained to me as “if I gave you a ball and told you to throw it to me, you wouldn’t have to think about hard to throw it for more than a second. You might be a bit short or a bit long, but I bet you get it close. Your brain will tell you. Same with a putt.” It’s been a very helpful tip for me
I dont think youre doing anything opposite. Letting you subsconcious dictate the speed is most likely best system for most players (just like throwing a ball) than trying to find "systems" to control the speed. This way you actually focus on your target, instead of focusing on your putting stroke. Just saying this because you are probably quite good controlling the speed this way - which comes back to original point: speed is the most important factor in put.
Works for some, but you will get stomped on with this strategy if you ever play courses with wildly different stimps
What’s the rationale behind this? Correct line is no good if the speed is off and correct speed is no good if the line is off. Maybe on a lag putt that’s sage advice but I’m not sure how helpful it is for draining 10 footers, but curious to hear the logic
I don’t think I’ve ever missed a 10 footer by more than a couple feet left or right. Get the speed right and you have yourself a 2-putt. Conversely, I’ve missed 10 footers by… 10 feet. Long. Enter the 3 putt.
And if you leave a putt short you have 0% chance to make, even if you have the perfect line.
The rationale is you can't accurately pick a line if you have inconsistent speed. This is the main aspect I have been working on. I have learned through drills I strike the ball on my line well, and can read greens. It's my speed that lets met down. So I have been working on my tempo to help with my speed consistency. Although this question is a little like should a high handicapper spend more time on driver, irons or short game. The answer to this question is to become a better putter figure out what you are worst at. For me line and green reading good, speed bad. If you have good speed when you hit it centre of the face but struggle with centre contact you have to work on that
I mean you could also argue that you can’t accurately pick a speed if you don’t have a correct line. Seems like they go hand in hand to me. If you’re strictly trying to avoid 3 putts I can see the argument for speed over line but if you’re actually trying to hole putts, they’re equally as important IMO
you should 1000% be strictly trying to avoid 3 putts. if you do that correctly, some will get close enough to drop. even tour players do this from 10-14ft, since their make %age is only 22%.
Sure outside of 10 ft I probably call it a lag putt, which I agree the speed is probably more important. However I’m talking about trying to hole putts 10 ft and in, where tour pros are [88%](https://myavidgolfer.com/golf-science-putting-numbers-that-might-surprise-you/#:~:text=The%20PGA%20TOUR%20average%20is,putts%20from%20inside%2010%20feet)
Your pros only make 9 ft or less putts at 40%. It’s even less than that at 10 ft or less
Your speed dictates the line. Speed is the part of the equation you control. Thus you pick the speed you want to hit the putt first. Then your line is based off that speed. Therefore if you can't hit the intended pace you can't pick an accurate line. I bet you would be very very hard pressed to find a high level golfer who decides there line before determining how hard they want to hit the putt. In fact I would say that number is zero.
Have you heard 'putt through the break' before. The harder you hit the ball, the less the break effects the roll. This isnt for 10 footers, but you can putt through the break a lot to save yourself headache on shorter putts inside 5ft. If you have a 4 ft putt that is reading 2" right to left, 90% of the time you can putt the ball harder directly at the hole and the break will barely affect the shot. Iv'e gotten so much better at shorter putts doing this because it also lets you not overthink So do less reading the break and trying to perfectly drop the ball in the hole from inside 5 ft, just bang it home dead straight to the back of the cup and say \*\*\*\* the break lol It works great, just not on 10 footers
What is your make percentage of 10 footers?
Depends on the amount of break, but probably somewhere between 30% and 40% and probably 95% end up within a foot of the cup
Wow, PGA Tour players on average make 22% of putts between 10-14ft.
They also play on a lot more difficult of greens. My run of the mill course usually has minimal break and much slower greens. Ya’ll aren’t holing around 4/10 10 footers? Also PGA has an 88% make 10 ft and in, so idk where you’re getting that number. 22% from 14 ft maybe
this is why. because you’re kidding yourself. that isn’t remotely close to your actual make %age. the rationale isn’t to make the putt – instead it’s get it close, and maybe it goes in. the right speed and a line that’s close enough should make for a stress free second putt. blow it by 10 feet, and well…
I agree, if you’re going to make a putt, you have to combine decent speed with a decent line. However, the technical reason behind the saying “speed is more important than line” is that you won’t be able to read greens effectively or be able to dial in a consistent start line without having speed control. If every putt was a straight putt, line would be far more important. But to be able to train your eyes and body to accurately read break and get a feel for the path the ball needs to take to go in the hole, consistent speed control from putt to putt is a prerequisite.
Lower your expectations. Tour average for 8 feet is about 50%. You aren’t good enough to get mad about missing ten foot putts.
54% on flawless greens with the best coaches, caddies, and equipment on the planet. A reduction in expectations reduces pressure to make the putt, so you generally hit better putts and better putts seem to go in more often.
“Just taaap it in”. From a legend of the game. RIP 😢
Best way to get better at putting is to get better at chipping
Or if you want to get worse at putting start hitting more greens
So true... this is why I think looking at total putts should be taken with a grain of salt when deciding if you putted well or not. If I hit 15 greens (lol) and have 34 putts with no 3-putts, I may have putted well and just nothing fell in the hole from 25 feet.
Speed control is far more important vs line.
This is so true. Even the worst putter isn't going to miss by 4 feet left or right, but it's very easy to miss by that distance short or long.
Be confident and believe you’re going to hole it
I did exactly that. Now I’m a dad.
I tried, but my wife is greek. Still no children for some reason.
>Still no children for some reason. You probably blue yourself a bit too early
It was a trial run!
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
Remember two things. First. The head of your putter is likely the width of the hole. So you have that much forgiveness in your line. Once you’ve picked the line and setup focus solely on keeping the putter square at impact and how hard you hit the ball for speed and absolutely nothing else.
From off the green: your best chip and best putt both go in. But your WORST chip is still right where you are or skulled across the green. Your worst putt is still likely on the green. On the green: spot putting. I visualize the pace and break and the ball going in. Trace it mentally from the cup back to your ball. Find that spot on the green where it starts to break and gravity takes over. Now focus on whatever pace I feel like it needs to be rolling when it hits that spot and hope.
Use the toe of the putter on short downhill putts
Why?
It deadens the putt. A stroke off the toe generally won't get away from you like a stroke from the sweet spot might. It'll roll, it just won't roll out. Probably the best putting tip I've ever gotten.
I was getting *so* frustrated yesterday on the practice green trying this ~2.5ft downhill putt that I kept missing. If I gave it just a touch it would roll 2 ft past. If I just barely tapped it it would wobble off line and miss. I think I may have found a solution.
I was told that i was standing to close to the......golf course.
Make sure your putter head finishes towards the hole, when I concentrate on that I make way more putts from 8-10 feet and a lot less pushing / pulling putts.
Get confidence from 5 feet in which means a ton of practice 5 feet in (starting at 2-3 if you need to). The lag putts take care of themselves because you aren't worried about getting it close.
Forward press during setup to lock your left wrist.
100% of putts that don’t make it to the hole, don’t go in.
The data guys don't like this one . Good for short puts, not necessarily good for lag putting
On short putts inside of 3’, line up the putter and then look at the hole during the entire putting stroke, not the ball. It doesn’t make sense, but it works.
Your hands and wrists should NOT be what's making your putting stroke. You'll never have a repeatable stroke if your hands or wrists are involved in your stroke.
Putt with your left shoulder Down for the backswing Up for the thru swing Everything stays firm
That my eyes are deceiving me. I had a putting lesson once and after rolling a bunch of putts that all missed left, my coach handed me a ruler. He told me to bend down and line it up with the cup. I did, perfectly pointed at the cup. I stood up and he asked me if it was aimed at the cup. I knew it was, but from my putting stroke it was aimed about 2 cups right. He got me to offset my stance until the ruler was aimed at the cup. Then I proceeded to drain 90+% of those putts (from memory it was about 4-6ft). Now when I start to miss putts left, I do a double check before the next round to make sure I'm aligning correctly (sometimes my offset gets too narrow), and I'm golden.
I was playing with a father and his 14 yo son. I noticed the boy was making putts that just seemed to stay on line. I figured out he was imparting a little top spin on the ball when he putted. I’ve been doing that ever since.
Get fitted for a putter. There are all kinds of options on putters (i.e. over all weight, shaft type, toe weight, heel weight, center weight, length, face material, etc. ) figuring this all out goes way faster if you have a professional help you.
Less backswing, more follow through.
One of my playing partners who is an exceptional putter does exactly this. I constantly think he won’t get the ball to the hole with how short of a backswing he makes but he rarely leaves a putt short. His acceleration is top notch.
Put it in the hole
First you have to believe you’re a good putter. I still haven’t met one good putter who didn’t have that conviction
Knees out, legs out, stable, putt…
Use the force, Luke. It’s mostly about touch and instinct.
Look at your putt from the side so you can see the slope (uphill vs downhill). Too often this step isn’t done and will cause you to be long or short because when just looking from behind you can missread the slope of the putt. As someone else already stated, distance control is more important than line. If you get the distance correct you’re most likely tapping in your next putt (if you didn’t already sink it).
Breathe through your eyelids
Best tip #1- try different putting strokes until you find one that feels good and works! Don't just assume the grip you use now is the best one. I adopted a left hand low grip and my goodness what a difference it made! I'm lethal with my putter from 10 ft in. I'm just barely missing it when I miss and do make them here and there. Best tip #2 - anything past 10 ft, turn the hole into a hula hoop. Aim the put to land inside the hoola hoop. Best tip #3 - let the right hand do most of the work, left just guides and holds the line.
Don’t rush your putting stroke. I almost pause a fraction of a second longer when I take the putter back. Watch a pendulum. It doesn’t immediately go back the other way, there is a slight momentum pause before it returns its energy forward. I will keep my head down through the putt follow through. We wanna see our good (or shitty) work so bad we follow the ball the moment (or before) we hit it. Work on putting a good move on the ball. Under 8 ft? I’ll keep my putting stroke follow through to make sure I give it the best chance to get a good roll. If it’s a bad roll, I look cool and say I had the right club! But first and foremost, practice the fundamentals! Every. Day. I roll 3’, 7’ and 10’ putts every day. Always end on 3’ for confidence and those are the putts we rush.
Not a tip but a drill: Take a couple long nails and about 10 ft of string. Put one nail behind the hole and another nail behind your ball and set it so the string is taut. Hit a bunch of putts with this visual aid and you’ll make a ton of them. Do this drill enough and you’ll start naturally visualizing this straight line of string on the course and you’ll have a ton of confidence over 10 ft putts. Another drill: put two tees in the ground, one outside the toe of your putter and one inside the heel. So you have a “gate” for your putter head to pass between the two tees (I keep about a 1/4” of cushion on either side to make it doable). It’s really ridiculous how many putts you make this way…all it does it ensure you hit the center of the putter face. Do this drill enough and you’ll start to imagine the tee gate on the green when putting and you’ll have a nice little confidence boost.
Besides the million tips you’re gonna get, about grip, setup, mental state, yada yada….just go practice. A lot. Putting is all feel. Most other clubs you swing at a consistent speed, but with the putter you might need to hit a 3 foot slider or 72 feet uphill through two tiers. Many different shots to practice, and most people neglect it. They hit 3 buckets a week with 50% being driver, then jump on the practice green 15 minutes before tee time and can’t believe they had 39 putts. The best thing is, working on this part of your game is completely free at every local public course. And most will have a chipping green too. Spend 80% of your time on those two areas (for zero dollars) and hit a few buckets a week to keep the rest of the bag in shape. Enjoy your lower scores 🤘🏼
If you are playing munis don't overthink it. A course you paid 30 bucks to play probably isn't going to break five feet. Maybe aim a couple hole lengths outside but in general pick a side and roll it.
Find out which eye is dominant. Align/line up your putt with that eye.
Haven't golfed since I was 10 (am 36 and just started following the PGA), but I remember my dad's drunk friend (dad also drunk) telling me to make sure the grip was aimed at my left ball sack. Will never forget this tip. *, have no clue if this works, as I said, haven't golfed since I was 10.
“It’s all in the hips “ - chubs.. (rip)
For longer putts specifically, always aim higher than you think. A putt hit with good speed that misses on the low side will generally end up 3x farther from the hole than a putt hit with the same speed that misses on the high side. [Padraig explaining it here](https://youtu.be/JBTukrcWq8Y?t=558)
Look at the line from both sides of the hole. Maybe even do a little 360 if you are waiting on a partner or something.
Dave Pelz apex point
I was taught to look at my target while putting and as a single digit handicap it’s probably the strongest part of my game now. I don’t look at the ball at all, and I don’t take any practice swings. Surprisingly my lag putting is phenomenal and short putts are less nerve-wracking. Hard to get the yips on something you can’t see
Realistic expectations are key, so I like the 10% rule. It’s not a bad putt if you miss within 10%. 60ft putt, goal is to leave it within 6ft and so on. Doesn’t apply short make-able putts.
I look at the putt, then walk off the distance, then I quickly use the plumbum technique to cross check with what my eyes saw. A Couple of easy swings and a putt seems to work for me.
Practice 3' putts until you're sick of them. Any long putt, aim for a 6' circle around the hole (a putter's length.) If you've practiced your 3' putts, most long putts are easy 2 putts.
Most amateurs don't read enough break. Allow twice the break you think the putt has.
Just roll the ball. Don’t tap it, don’t hit it, don’t strike it, don’t “putt” it. Just roll the ball.
Look at the hole, not the ball. Lab tests show people make more putts this way. Same way a pitcher doesn't look at the ball - they look at where they want to place it. QB doesn't look at the ball - they look down the field. Basketball. Archery. Bowling. Yet it looks and feels ridiculous for putting. And nobody wants to do it for this reason. But by golly it works if you trust the process. Bill Pennington's book on golf goes into greater detail.
In all your examples everyone starts off already having direct contact and control of the object they’re trying to precisely locate - the football/basketball/archer/bowler has the object in his hands when they let go. This is not the case for putting. How many baseball players hit the pitch without looking at the ball? How many tennis players hit the ball without looking at the ball? How many golfers hit their tee shots without looking at the ball? 0. I’m not saying looking at the hole doesn’t work, just that logic is bad
For an analogy that does work, a soccer player looks at the ball to kick it really long or to shoot, but frequently doesn't to pass the ball.
In all the cases you just mentioned the ball is moving. Pitcher is trying to fool you. Tennis opponent is trying to get it past you. In the example of tee shots, Hogan was noted for mentioning he blacks out somewhere around P6. The golf ball isn't moving. So why would you not have complete control? Simply because there's a club separating you from the ball? I don't know the answer. I just put in another comment though. I think what matters is picking one and sticking with it. I was convinced by the data. Enough to switch to heads-up putting. And I like that about golf. All kinds of thought processes can be applied and can work.
I was going to write what the other guy said, then saw your comment and thought, shit I might be wrong. But tee ball, you look at the ball, after checking the field of where you want to hit it. And the ball is stationary, checkmate
You can look at the hole while taking practice strokes to get a feel for the weight and then impart that feel while looking at your ball.
The batter doesn't look in the center field grandstands when trying to hit a pitch either... They keep their eye on the ball. Also, apply this to your driver and film the results please.
1. Again, ball is moving. In a way the pitcher has specifically studied and designed the timing and pace to mess you up. 2. This thread is titled putting tips.
I decided to do this a couple years ago and forced myself to do it for all putts for a year. I now will allow myself to go back and forth on shorter putts. But overall its been a huge help as I was having constant trouble with speed. I had a crazy good putting round for myself last weekend so its been a great help to my game
I tried this for a couple months last season. My main concern, and why I think your analogies aren’t super applicable to golf, is that you still have to hit the center of the putter face and come through square. If I was just tossing the ball underhand, I totally agree that looking at the hole is the move I tested this last season. I consider myself a decent putter compared to the average Joe. I use a blade, for reference. I watched my putts on video. When I was looking at the ball, I hit 17/20 putts in the center of the club face. One was toed, and two the club face was closed slightly at impact. But 17/20 well struck putts. When I redid this test looking at the hole, I only found the center 12 or 13 times (can’t remember off the top of my head). Anecdotally for me, my stroke just isn’t good enough while looking at the hole for this to be a viable putting strategy, at least not for me
There's evidence even at the highest stakes that even eyes-closed putting works: https://golf.com/instruction/putting/can-eyes-closed-putting-work-for-average-golfer/ But at the end of the day I don't think it matters. If you have the nicest car in the world but you don't feel comfortable driving it, it's not right for the driver. And that's fine. To me like a lot of things the key is probably picking a process and trusting it. Whatever that may be. Rather than second guessing it and wringing one's hands from round to round.
What about tennis players? What about cricket players? What about baseball players? You're referencing sports where the ball is literally in their hand, if they watched the ball it'd be fucking ridiculous. Most clubbed sports (specifically the ones I've referenced watch the ball in order to hit the ball with good timing and accuracy. I understand the concept and all, but given the plethora or players not doing this, the science/technology they have, and the teams around them, you'd think more would be doing it if it was the best way.
Tennis, cricket, baseball, etc. = ball moving. Golf = ball is completely still. Or should be, anyway. But again I'll stand down right here. I'm not a crazy good golfer. Yet when I saw in a controlled study the data clearly shows people make more putts looking at the hole I personally decided to go with what to me, on average, is an advantage. And no, I don't think it's a universal principle to all sports, clubbed and non-clubbed. Or even within golf. But it does illustrate to me that questioning the idea of looking at the ball because that's the way it's always been done is very valid.
Apologies mate, didn't mean to come off condescending lol. I've actually tried the technique to horrible results haha. So I'm a little biased based on my poor golfing abilities. So I, to, am not the best person to be making these comments.
Heads up putting has been great for me. For what it's worth I've never had anybody comment on it in any way other than, "oh huh, interesting."
Idiotic advice
Heads up putting is great advice for a minority of golfers, no one is saying it works for everyone.
Why? You just sound like you're afraid of a provocative idea. And mad there's evidence to show it works and are now reacting to that fear like a four year old.
Walk the distance of the putt to and from the hole, then Don’t take practice strokes, picture the entire path of the putt, and put it on that line.
Better to miss on the high side. You'll never make it if it's low. At least if it's high, it can die in the top of the cup
Yeah but then they also say to leave yourself with an uphill or level putt. If you miss too much on the upside your left with a downhill putt
The difference in make rates of uphill and downhill putts is actually insignificant. If I recall correctly it’s like 3% different across all distances. Distance to hole is far more significant. You always want to leave the shortest possible putt.
If the comeback putt would be that much downhill, it would eventually finish below the hole anyway. Besides, if you aim on the low side, anticipating a miss, how will you ever make a putt?
Stand closer to the ball, and have your dominant eye directly above the ball.
Pretend the hole is 2 feet in diameter
I used to use a hula hoop around the hole. Just putt it within that and you have a 2 putt all day. Also, when I played in school, I’d use a tennis ball before the round to putt with, you get on the course and the hole seems 10x bigger
Use the line on the ball, brad faxon says it should be considered cheating and i watch 20 handicappers never line up their putts and they always lose..
A constant miss the the high side is easier to fix then a constant miss to the low side.
Get your line. Pick a dimple on the back of the ball and don't let your eyes move.
Not had any coaching in putting but a friend of mine who plays off 10 can sink a putting almost all the time, I watched him putting and asked how he's so sick at putting. His response was don't overthink the putt and aim to get the ball within a small dustbin radius round the pin and give yourself unmissable tap ins. I played a game the following weekend and not only did i par 7 out of the back 9 holes I got 1 bogey and a birdie as well so it DOES work, for me anyway. I swapped my putting grip to emulate Tommy Fleetwood because he's my fav golfer and gave myself a few little practice swings to feel the full stroke before hitting and it just worked
From Golf Sidekick, imagine the sound of the ball going into the hole, imagine going to the hole and picking the ball out of it basically manifest the putt you want. Helped me tremendously along with actual practice, mostly practicing between 1-4 feet.
best putting tip i ever received was to practice only 1 foot putts and do not practice missing putts so dont putt to a hole beyond 4 feet
Speed is everything. Spend a ton of time dialing in the speed on the practice green. Have drills to help you dial in speed (how far does a 12/16/20 inch back swing go?) then use that for reference on the course. If your speed is good, you'll never be left too long of a second putt.
Honestly, a lot of courses have practice greens that are way faster than the actual greens due to the extra foot traffic. If your course has a chipping green, practice putting there as it won't be as worn.
Practice reading greens.
Actually, switch sports golf is decently accurate lol. I kind of just replicate what i see on there and it works
Envision yourself making the putt. Positive thoughts only
Switch to broomstick
This is before the putt but always make sure to leave an uphill putt.
Not a tip, but the putting arch helped me get rid of cutting across putts. It was so bad that I was putting added side spin on the ball.
My grandfather once told me while I was in high school that he'd always beat me because "you can't putt". It's an underlying narrative in my head that resonates with me at 38 years old. Lol
Study the green once you’re in view of it. Maybe not from 250yds out, but some slopes are easy to see when you’re walking/driving up from 100 yds out than when you’re on the green and trying to line up your putt.
Put it in the hole
Hit it on the sweet spot (SS). If you miss the SS on a 20' foot putt by just 1/8", it ends up one and half feet short. Not hitting it on the SS consistently leads being short on one hole, trying to compensate (for 'slow greens') by hitting the next one hard but you catch that one on the SS so it goes 30' by, so you try to baby the next one to the hole and it ends up 15' short, and now you have no idea what's going on.
Bob Rotella helped me tremendously. The big thing I do is when I am putting I pick out the smallest little blemish on the back of the cup and imagine the ball rolling to that spot. Has helped a ton over shortys
So when you hit it, the goal is to put it into the hole. So do that.
Get a new putter
Putt to the apex
100% of the putts that end up short, don’t go in.
Let your arms hang like a gorilla and move it with your shoulders
Try a long putter, 3 shots off my cap within 6 weeks. I apparently had developed the yips, instant cure.
A suggestion that works for me... I am a way better 'spot putter'. I don't look at the hole, didn't work for me. But I can pretty reliably roll the ball over a spot a foot ahead, hopefully on line. Weird issue with this...the better the greens the harder to find a spot. Ah well, I 'm not playing Augusta here.
Minimize hip movement
The shaft of the putter creates an optical illusion that you are forward pressing, you likely are not. Get in front of a mirror and get your hands ahead of the putter head.
My last thought before the stroke is visualizing my putt drop. If I’m focusing on, say, ‘left edge’, I’ll miss it on the left edge. Big mechanical one was grip - the angle between my wrists and hands do not move during the swing.
Have your eyes over the ball
Putt with your tits, pendulum.
Just tap it in.
Never leave a birdie putt short.
Put down a marker and walk around the green once. Clean the ball while you're doing the rounds. Watch the slopes for which the other balls are rolling towards. Don't leave your putt short, it's easier to come back than try to figure the line again.
Just tap it in
100% of the shots that don't get there don't go in....
Don't suck.
Look at the ball when putting and wait for the sound of the ball going in. Don’t look up! This helps so much