How to Improve Your Putting in Golf

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Quick Answer

• Master a consistent grip, stable stance, and a smooth, repeatable stroke.
• Dedicate time to practicing both short putts and longer lag putts.
• Develop a reliable pre-putt routine to build focus and confidence.

Who This is For

• Golfers of all levels looking to shave strokes and improve their scoring.
• Players who find themselves frequently three-putting or missing makeable short putts.

What to Check First for Better Putting

• Grip: Ensure a relaxed, consistent hold. Your hands should feel connected, not tense.
• Stance: Check for balanced weight, shoulder-width foot spacing, and proper ball position relative to your lead foot.
• Posture: Aim for an athletic setup with your eyes directly over the ball, hinging from your hips.
• Alignment: Verify that you are aimed precisely where you intend to hit the ball.
• Putter Fit: Confirm your putter’s length and lie angle are appropriate for your setup.

Step-by-Step Plan to Improve Your Putting

1. Establish a Neutral, Relaxed Grip.

• Action: Experiment with different grip styles (conventional, reverse overlap, cross-handed, claw) until you find one that feels natural and allows your hands to work together without tension.
• What to look for: Your grip should feel firm enough to control the putter but relaxed enough to allow for feel and a smooth stroke. Avoid any hint of white knuckles or forearm tension.
• Mistake to avoid: Squeezing the putter too tightly. This tension travels up your arms, restricts your wrists, and leads to a jerky, inconsistent stroke. It’s like trying to paint with a death grip – you lose all finesse.

2. Set Up a Consistent, Athletic Stance.

• Action: Stand to the ball with your feet about shoulder-width apart, allowing for a stable base. Bend slightly from your hips, keeping your back relatively straight, so your eyes are directly over the ball. Allow a slight flex in your knees.
• What to look for: A balanced, athletic posture that feels stable but not rigid. You should feel poised and ready to make a stroke without strain. Your weight should be evenly distributed or slightly favoring your lead foot.
• Mistake to avoid: Slouching or bending too much from the waist. This can cause your shoulders to round, leading to an inconsistent swing plane and making it harder to keep your eyes over the ball throughout the stroke.

3. Dial In Your Ball Position.

• Action: For most standard putts, position the ball slightly forward of the center of your stance, typically aligned with the inside of your lead heel. You might adjust this slightly for different slopes or distances, but aim for consistency.
• What to look for: A consistent ball position that allows you to strike the ball on the upswing or at the bottom of your stroke, depending on your preference and putter.
• Mistake to avoid: Constantly changing your ball position without a clear understanding of why. Inconsistency here can lead to hitting the ball fat, thin, or off-center, ruining your stroke.

4. Develop a Smooth, Pendulum Stroke.

• Action: Initiate your putting stroke by rocking your shoulders back and forth. Keep your wrists and forearms quiet and still. Imagine the putter head swinging like a pendulum on a string.
• What to look for: A smooth, rhythmic motion where the putter head travels back and through the ball in a consistent arc. The tempo should be consistent for both the backswing and follow-through.
• Mistake to avoid: Trying to “guide” or “hit” the ball with your hands or wrists. This leads to a jerky, inconsistent stroke and poor distance control. It’s like trying to nudge a delicate object with a sledgehammer – it just doesn’t work.

5. Practice Effective Distance Control.

• Action: Spend time practicing putts of various lengths, from 10 feet to 50 feet. Focus on making the backswing and follow-through consistent in length and tempo for each distance. Use drills that emphasize getting the ball to a specific spot or within a certain radius of the hole.
• What to look for: The ball rolling the intended distance, not just going in the hole. You want to feel confident that you can leave your lag putts close enough for an easy second putt.
• Mistake to avoid: Only practicing short, makeable putts. While important for confidence, neglecting lag putting means you’ll continue to face challenging second putts and rack up three-putts. Distance control is arguably more critical than line on longer putts.

6. Implement a Consistent Pre-Putt Routine.

• Action: Develop a sequence of actions you perform before every putt. This might include walking the line, reading the slope from multiple angles, visualizing the ball’s path, taking a practice stroke, and then stepping up to the ball.
• What to look for: A routine that helps you feel calm, focused, and confident. It should be something you can do consistently on any hole, regardless of pressure.
• Mistake to avoid: Rushing your preparation or having a different routine for every putt. This can lead to indecision and anxiety, negatively impacting your stroke. A good routine is your mental anchor.

7. Focus on the Stroke Path and Tempo.

• Action: Use alignment aids (like a string line or chalk line on the practice green) to ensure your putter face is square at impact and your stroke path is consistent. Pay attention to the tempo of your stroke – aim for a smooth, even rhythm.
• What to look for: The putter head moving along the intended line during your backswing and follow-through. A consistent tempo, often described as “one-two” (backswing-forward swing), helps with both distance and direction.
• Mistake to avoid: Having a jerky or inconsistent tempo. A common issue is decelerating through the ball, which robs it of momentum and leads to missed putts.

8. Practice with Purpose and Feedback.

• Action: Don’t just hit balls aimlessly. Use putting drills that challenge specific aspects of your game, such as short putts, lag putts, breaking putts, and putts from different lies. Seek feedback from a coach or use video analysis if possible.
• What to look for: Improvement in your consistency, feel, and scoring. Track your progress with drills and identify areas that still need work.
• Mistake to avoid: Practicing without a clear goal or feedback mechanism. You might be reinforcing bad habits without even realizing it. Remember, practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.

How to Put in Golf: Common Mistakes

• Gripping the putter too tightly — Why it matters: This is a classic killer of feel and leads to tension that disrupts a smooth, repeatable stroke. It’s like trying to play a delicate instrument with oven mitts on. — Fix: Focus on a relaxed grip, using your fingers more than your palms. Imagine you’re holding a baby bird – firm enough so it doesn’t fly away, but gentle enough not to harm it.

• Poor setup and alignment — Why it matters: If you’re not aimed correctly, even the best stroke in the world won’t find the hole. This is a fundamental flaw that dooms putts before they even start. — Fix: Use alignment aids (like tees or alignment sticks) on the practice green to check your setup. Make sure your shoulders, hips, and feet are parallel to your intended line.

• Manipulating the wrists during the stroke — Why it matters: This creates an inconsistent arc and a jerky motion, making it impossible to control distance and direction. It turns a smooth pendulum into a choppy mess. — Fix: Keep your wrists quiet and still. The rotation should come from your shoulders, allowing the putter to swing freely like a pendulum. Think “rocking chair” for your shoulders.

• Inconsistent practice habits — Why it matters: Sporadic practice means you don’t build the necessary muscle memory, feel, or confidence. Your putting will be a rollercoaster. — Fix: Dedicate specific, regular time to putting practice. Even 15-20 minutes a few times a week, focusing on drills, is far more effective than one long session every month.

• Ignoring distance control — Why it matters: A perfect line is useless if the ball is too far past or short of the hole. Lag putting is crucial for avoiding costly three-putts. — Fix: Practice putts of all lengths, from 10 feet to 60 feet. Focus on hitting them the correct distance by making your backswing and follow-through consistent for each length.

• Looking up too soon — Why it matters: Lifting your head to see if the putt is going in before it’s finished is a surefire way to pull your stroke offline or affect the speed. — Fix: Keep your head down and your eyes focused on the ball until after impact. Train yourself to listen for the ball dropping into the cup or the sound of it hitting the back of the hole.

• Not accounting for green speed — Why it matters: Greens can vary wildly in speed from course to course, or even from day to day. Putting with the wrong speed is a recipe for missed putts. — Fix: Spend time on the practice green before your round to gauge the speed. Adjust your stroke length and tempo accordingly. This is where your pre-putt routine comes in handy.

FAQ

• What is the ideal grip pressure for putting?

The ideal grip pressure for putting is light and consistent. Think about a 3-4 on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is a death grip. You want enough pressure to control the putter but not so much that you feel tension in your forearms and wrists. This allows for better feel and a smoother stroke.

• How often should I practice putting?

Consistency is far more important than duration. Aim to practice putting at least a few times a week, even if it’s just for 15-20 minutes. Incorporating putting into every practice session, whether at home or on the course, will yield the best results.

• What are the key elements of a good putting stance?

A good putting stance is balanced, athletic, and promotes a consistent stroke. Key elements include: feet about shoulder-width apart for stability, a slight bend in the knees, weight balanced or slightly favoring the lead foot, and your eyes positioned directly over the ball. This setup allows your shoulders to rock freely.

• Should I always use the same putter?

For consistency, it’s generally best to stick with one putter once you find one that feels comfortable and suits your stroke. Constantly switching putters can disrupt your feel and rhythm. Focus on improving your technique with the putter you have.

• How do I read greens better?

Reading greens involves observing the overall slope of the landscape, identifying subtle breaks, and understanding how moisture affects the ball’s roll. Look at the putt from behind the ball, from the side, and from behind the hole. Pay attention to how water would drain from the area. Practice and experience are your best teachers here.

• What’s the best way to practice short putts?

The best way to practice short putts (3-6 feet) is by setting up drills that require making a certain number in a row. For example, try to make 10 putts from 3 feet consecutively. This builds confidence and reinforces a solid, repeatable stroke under pressure.

• How can I improve my lag putting?

Lag putting focuses on distance control rather than just making the putt. Practice drills where your goal is to get every putt within a 3-foot circle around the hole. Focus on making consistent backswings for each putt, adjusting the length based on distance, and maintaining a smooth tempo through impact.

Sources:

[1] Improve Your Golf Putting: https://golfhubz.com/improve-your-golf-putting

[2] How to Improve Your Putting: https://golfhubz.com/how-to-improve-your-putting

[3] How to Improve Your Golf Putting: https://golfhubz.com/how-to-improve-your-golf-putting

[4] Improve Your Golf Putting Skills: https://golfhubz.com/improve-your-golf-putting-skills

[5] Tips for Improving Your Golf Putting: https://golfhubz.com/tips-for-improving-your-golf-putting