How to improve my putting on the green?

Question

What are some tips and suggestions for making putting a little easier on the golf course.

Answer 1

Practice straight putts - this grooves your stroke and makes sure you arent pulling or pushing your putts.

Many players do not position their eye over the ball but try to putt with their eye off the ball - this is like trying to shoot a gun without looking staight down the sights - very difficult. Position your eyes so they are directly (vertical) over the ball. place the sweet spot of the putter directly behind the ball.

Then the trick is reading breaks on the course and picking a point to hit your ball to.  When you get to the green identify the general slope of the land. Then focus on your ball and the hole  - is this following the general slope or is there some dip or other feature that changes the break. Draw your line from the cup to the ball, pick a spot on the line 1 foot in front of your ball and make a good stroke.

Most amateur players miss breaking putts on the low side so if thats happening to you adjust a little and aim a little higher on the line you think it is...

Always watch the ball closely until it stops...if it pass the hole it will tell you lots of info about the putt coming back!

Answer 2

Don't try to sink every putt in one shot. If you have a long putt, try to putt it the the length of the putter, or "within the leather" as the old saying goes. Especially on a longer putt, with a lot of break, I've blown it past the hole several feet, and faced a sometimes much harder putt back the other way.

Try to just get it close, and then tap in a 2-3 footer, anyone can make those.

Another tip, don't just aim simply for the hole, especially on one with a big break. Pick a mark on the green, i.e. a leaf, a divot, a shadow. Aim for this, and let the break do it's job.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Practice putting from 3 feet and closer.  Usually the length of a par or bogey putt.  Practice taking the putter straight back and straight through.

Answer 4

Work on distance control more than anything and practice practice practice.  Putting is more about feel than all the other shots.

Answer 5

Airjman,

One of the best things I have figured out to do (and Jack Nicholas uses it also) is, instead of looking at the hole. Find a place in the putting line that is only about 6" to a foot in front of the ball, and concentrate on hitting the ball across that mark. This you do instead of concentrating on the entire putt. It is much easier to concentrate on hitting the ball across the 6" to 1 foot mark then having to concentrate on the entire length of the shot.

Hope this helps

Answer 6

Practice 3 footers until they are EZ

Answer 7

This tip works wonders right away. Everything else takes a LOT of practice and practice on a variety of greens.

David Toms drill for distance control since most of us don't hit within a 15 foot circle around the pin.

If you have a long lag putt, count like in flag football, how many seconds you think it would take the ball to get to the hole. One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand…etc.

Try this on the practice green and you’ll be surprised how many seconds it really takes for a ball to get PAST the hole on a 30 footer.

When I started doing this I was a full "one-one thousand" short. I was always leaving myself short.

The next tip is obviously to practice 3-4 footers in a circle around a hole so you can always make your short putts after a good lag.

Answer 8

Putting is one of the most important parts of the game of golf. It can also be one of the most frustrating. You should spend a lot of time on the practice green in order to get a handle on putting. Start with short shots. Get some success under your belt, even though it is small success. This will get you more comfortable at putting.

As you sink more and more short putts, gradually increase the distance; 3 feet, 5 feet, 10 feet and so on. Make sure you are sinking most of your putts before advancing. Also, come at the hole from different angles, as the grain of the grass will affect how far the ball will travel. Practice different elevations to get an idea of how to read the green.

The big key in putting is confidence. You can only get that confidence through a lot of successes at different distances and green conditions. So next time you get up to putt you know the ball is going to travel the right distance and follow the right line to the hole every time.