What is the best way to putt in golf? The best way to putt involves a solid foundation: a comfortable putting grip, a consistent putting stroke, accurate reading greens, and excellent distance control putting. Getting these basics right will lower your scores significantly. Putting is often called the shortest game, but it takes the most practice. Good putting makes a huge difference on the course. Let’s dive deep into how you can improve your putting game today.
The Foundation: Setting Up for Success
Great putting starts before you even swing the putter. Proper setup ensures consistency. Think of this as building a strong base for your house. If the base is weak, the house will wobble.
Choosing and Adjusting Your Putting Grip
Your grip is your only connection to the putter. A poor grip leads to inconsistent rolls. Many golfers use a standard overlapping or interlocked grip, like a full swing. However, for putting, many pros use specialty grips.
Popular Putting Grip Styles
- Reverse Overlap: This is very common. The lead hand (usually the left hand for right-handers) is placed near the top. The trail hand wraps over or below the lead hand fingers. This setup often calms the wrist action.
- Claw Grip: The fingers of the trail hand hang down the side of the grip, often resembling a claw. This minimizes hand involvement.
- Pencil Grip (or Two-Thumb Grip): Both thumbs lie flat down the top of the grip. This promotes very straight hands and limits wrist hinge.
Tip: Your grip pressure should be light. Think of holding a tube of toothpaste without squeezing the paste out. Too tight a grip causes tension in your arms and shoulders. This tension ruins a smooth putting stroke.
Perfecting Putting Alignment
Good putting alignment means the putter face aims exactly where you want the ball to start. If your face aims left or right, the ball will start left or right, no matter how good your stroke is.
Key Setup Points for Putting Alignment
- Ball Position: Generally, place the ball slightly forward of the center of your stance. This helps catch the ball on the slight upswing of the putter.
- Eye Position: Your eyes should be directly over the ball or slightly inside the target line. You should be able to drop a ball from your eyes and have it hit the line.
- Shoulder Alignment: Your shoulders, hips, and feet should line up parallel to your intended target line. Imagine train tracks. Your feet are the inner track, and the ball path is the outer track.
A simple drill is to place two alignment sticks on the ground. One stick marks your intended path. The other stick should align with the putter face at address.
Deciphering the Green: Reading Greens
Reading greens is more art than science, but good observation skills help a lot. The goal is to figure out two main things: how far the ball needs to travel, and how much the ball will curve (break).
Factors Affecting Ball Roll
- Slope/Break: Gravity pulls the ball downhill. A downhill putt breaks more than an uphill putt.
- Speed: A fast putt has less time to break. A slow putt has more time to break.
- Grain: Grass blades grow in a certain direction. This affects both speed and break. Look for shine on the grass (usually downhill/with the grain, making it faster). Darker, duller grass often means uphill/against the grain, making it slower.
Systematic Reading Greens Techniques
- The Walk-Around: Walk around the hole. Look at the putt from both behind the ball and from the low side (the side the ball will break toward).
- AimPoint Express: Many professionals use AimPoint. This involves feeling the slope under your feet. You use your fingers to gauge the amount of break needed. Even without the full system, feeling the slope helps.
- Apex Spot: Visualize the highest point the ball will reach before it starts dropping toward the hole. Pick a blade of grass or a small spot there. Aim for that spot.
Tip: Always trust your first read. Overthinking the read often leads to indecision over the ball.
Perfecting the Putting Stroke
The putting stroke is the engine of your putting. It must be repeatable. A good stroke returns the putter face squarely to the ball repeatedly. It should be pendulum-like, driven by the shoulders, not the hands or wrists.
Stroke Mechanics: Path and Face Control
Most great putters use a slight arc path or a straight path. The most important factor is that the face is square at impact.
- Pendulum Motion: Keep your elbows relatively close to your body. The stroke should move back and through using your shoulders as the hinge. Minimize wrist hinge or “flipping.”
- Tempo: The speed of your backswing compared to your follow-through is crucial. A 2:1 ratio (backswing twice as long as the forward swing) is common, but consistency matters more than the ratio itself.
Drill Focus: The Gate Drill
Place two tees slightly wider than your putter head. Make strokes through the gate without hitting the tees. This forces a smooth path and prevents the “throwing” of the putter head at the ball.
Face Angle Putting: Impact Control
Accurate face angle putting dictates the initial direction. A degree or two off target at impact can cause a miss from ten feet.
- Impact Point: Try to hit the ball consistently on the sweet spot of the putter. Modern putters have an impact area marked, or you can use chalk dust to check. Center contact provides the best feedback and roll.
Controlling Pace: Distance Control Putting
Distance control putting—often called lag putting—separates good players from great players. Getting the speed right on long putts leaves you with an easy tap-in next time.
The Importance of Lag Putting
Lag putting is hitting the ball with enough speed so it gets close to the hole, ideally stopping within a three-foot circle. This removes the pressure of making the next putt.
Lag Putting Drills for Pace
- The Clock Drill: Place eight balls around a hole at varying distances (e.g., 15, 20, 30 feet). Try to get every ball to stop within a specific zone around the hole (like a clock face). Focus only on the speed.
- The Ladder Drill: Hit putts of increasing length (10 feet, 20 feet, 30 feet, 40 feet). Then, reverse the order. This conditions your distance feel for the whole course.
Rule of Thumb for Lag Putting: On flat surfaces, aim for the ball to roll out about 12 to 18 inches past the hole if you miss. This gives you a high-percentage comeback putt.
Refining Short Game Precision
While lag putting handles distance, you need precision inside ten feet. These putts must be made to save par or secure birdies.
Mastering the Five-Footers
Making 100% of your five-foot putts is the goal for elite players. This requires extreme commitment to your line and stroke.
- Commitment: Pick a spot the size of a dime on the ball or the green just in front of the ball. Stare only at that spot during your stroke.
- Visualization: See the ball going into the center of the cup. Do not think about missing.
Advanced Short Game Drills
Use these drills to build confidence inside the pressure zone:
- The Line Test: Draw a straight line down the center of a golf ball. Place it on a short, straight putt (five feet). Line the ball’s mark up exactly on your intended path. If the line stays on the path the entire time, you executed the stroke perfectly.
- The One-Ball Challenge: Take one ball and give yourself 10 putts from seven feet. You must make all ten in a row to pass the drill. If you miss, start over at one. This simulates pressure.
Utilizing Technology and Practice Aids
Modern golf offers fantastic tools to help improve your game. Don’t rely only on feel; use data to confirm your technique.
Indoor Putting Practice Essentials
Bad weather shouldn’t stop your practice. Indoor putting practice allows you to work on mechanics repeatedly without worrying about external factors like wind or rain.
- Putting Mats: Invest in a high-quality mat with a true roll speed similar to course greens. Look for mats with built-in alignment guides.
- Feedback Tools: Use tools that show where the ball is rolling off the face. A simple mirror placed behind the ball helps check your eye position and face alignment instantly.
Incorporating Golf Putting Tips into Your Routine
Top coaches share many secrets. Here are a few key golf putting tips to integrate:
| Area | Key Tip | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Putt Routine | Develop a routine you do every time. | Routines build muscle memory and calm nerves. |
| Head Stillness | Keep your chin down and eyes fixed on the ball until it’s halfway to the hole. | Prevents unwanted body movement during impact. |
| Practice Greens | Always practice the hole location you will face on the course, not just straight-on putts. | Simulates real-game challenges involving slopes. |
| The Follow-Through | Ensure your putter finishes high on the side of the target line. | A full finish promotes better acceleration through impact. |
Fathoming Green Speed Variation
Green speed changes dramatically throughout the year and even during one round. The morning dew slows things down. Mid-day sun speeds them up. You must adjust your speed control for different conditions.
Adjusting for Pace Changes
If you know the greens are fast (e.g., after a hot, dry afternoon), you must shorten your backswing slightly for the same distance, or focus intently on a softer release.
If the greens are slow (e.g., early morning or heavily watered), you need a slightly more aggressive stroke.
Comprehending Green Stimpmeter Readings:
While you might not measure greens on the amateur course, knowing the speed concept helps. A Stimp reading of 7 is average. A reading of 12+ is very fast. Fast greens require softer hands and a smaller stroke for short putts.
Handling Pressure: The Mental Side of Putting
The last 30 feet of your short game is mostly mental. Nerves affect muscle memory. Good golf putting tips always include mental strategy.
Managing Nerves Over the Short Putt
When standing over a three-foot putt for par, your heart rate increases. This tightens your muscles.
- Breathing: Take one slow, deep breath just before addressing the ball. Exhale completely as you begin your stroke.
- Target Focus: Revert to your process. Do not look at the hole once you start your routine. Focus only on the small spot you picked near the ball.
- Past Success: Remind yourself of all the putts you made successfully during practice. Trust the work you put into your putting stroke.
Putting Practice Schedule Example
To truly master putting, practice must be structured. Dedicate consistent time to specific areas rather than just hitting balls randomly.
| Day | Focus Area | Duration | Key Drill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Stroke Mechanics | 30 min | Gate Drill (Check Putting Alignment and Path) |
| Wednesday | Lag Putting | 45 min | Clock Drill (Focusing on Distance Control Putting) |
| Friday | Short Game Precision | 30 min | One-Ball Challenge (Inside 8 feet) |
| Weekend | On Course Application | 18 Holes | Count misses inside 6 feet. |
| Anytime | Indoor Putting Practice | 15 min | Mirror Drill (Checking Face Angle Putting) |
By integrating focused routines that address the putting grip, putting stroke, reading greens, and pace control through short game drills, you build the habits of a great putter. Consistent application of these techniques, supported by frequent indoor putting practice, will turn 3-putts into 2-putts and save you strokes every round. Remember, the best golf putting tips only work if you put them into practice repeatedly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How hard should I grip the putter?
A: Grip pressure should be light, often described as a 3 or 4 out of 10 pressure level. Too tight a grip restricts the smooth action needed for a good putting stroke.
Q: What is the ideal speed for putting?
A: Generally, aim for a speed that gets the ball rolling 12 to 18 inches past the hole if you miss. This ensures good roll characteristics and leaves a manageable second putt. This is key for effective distance control putting.
Q: Should my eyes be directly over the ball?
A: For most golfers, having your eyes directly over the ball or slightly inside the target line promotes the best view of the intended line and helps ensure proper putting alignment.
Q: How long should my practice routine be before each putt?
A: While tour pros might take 20-30 seconds, your routine should be quick but consistent—perhaps 10 seconds. It must be the same every time, focusing on alignment checks and visualizing the roll.
Q: Does loft matter in putting?
A: Yes. Most putters have 2 to 4 degrees of loft. This loft is necessary to lift the ball out of its slight indentation on the green and start it rolling true. Incorrect loft can cause the ball to skip instead of roll, especially on slower greens.