The best putting technique is one that puts the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible. The most important aspect of your putting stroke is how consistently you can repeat it. When you repeat a motion over and over, you will naturally find a way to be efficient and repeatable.
To improve your putting technique and create a smooth, consistent stroke, there are a few fundamentals to keep in mind:
Keep your left wrist firm through impact.
Keep your right wrist firm through impact.
Practice until you can do
If you are looking to lower your scores and create a smoother putting stroke, this drill will help you do just that. You will be able to practice in the comfort of your own home, so if you have a space that is roughly 7-10 feet long, it would be ideal.
All you need is a putter, two bulls-eyes and a golf ball. The larger bulls-eye should be taped onto the floor about 2 feet away from a wall. The second bulls-eye should be placed on the wall about 3 feet above the first one.
First, place the golf ball in front of the larger bulls-eye on the floor. Hit some putts towards the bulls-eye on the wall. Do this motion for about five minutes. This drill helps to keep your hands behind the ball when putting. If your hands lead through impact, this drill will help create more of a pendulum motion that keeps your hands still and behind the ball during impact.
Second, place your ball about 1 foot left of the larger bulls-eye (if you are right handed). This time hit some putts towards the bulls-eye on the wall again. What this will help with is creating more lag at impact and making sure your shoulders aren’t leading through
Have you ever wondered why some people are able to make a smooth, consistent putting stroke while others experience inconsistency and the dreaded yips? The answer to this question lies in their body movement. If a player maintains a consistent upper body movement throughout the swing, they will be able to maintain a solid stroke. If the body begins to sway or pivot during the swing, the club face will likely move off line.
To help you keep your upper body motion steady, try this drill: Set up two clubs parallel to one another about three feet apart and place a ball between them. Next, place another club behind the ball at an angle perpendicular to the first two clubs (see photo). Finally, make your putting stroke without hitting the clubs.
The goal of this drill is to provide immediate feedback if you break down during your backswing or follow through. You should be able to make an unhindered backswing and follow through without hitting either club. If you hit one of them, it’s an indication that your upper body moved too much during that part of the swing. As long as you keep your head still and your arms connected with your torso, you should be able to pass this test every time!
The goal of the Stroke Length Drill is to develop short, compact strokes. An effective putting stroke requires a smooth, consistent motion where the distance the putter travels back and forth is relatively short. Because you hit the ball while the club is traveling in both directions, it’s important that your forward and backward strokes have equal length.
Place two tees in the ground at approximately a 45-degree angle on either side of the golf ball. The tees should be at least 2 inches outside of where your putter will be positioned at setup (see diagram). Practice your putting stroke while making sure that you do not hit any of the tees during your swing.
To help reinforce proper stroke length, try using a mirror during practice sessions to ensure that your backstroke is equal to your through stroke.
In the putting stroke, most golfers have a tendency to rotate their shoulders open during the backswing and shut them during the follow-through. This is caused by poor body rotation, which in turn leads to inconsistent putts.
To help fix this problem, try this drill:
Set up two tees (or use two balls) about two inches apart and four inches behind your ball. The space between the two tees should be parallel to your target line.
Then make a normal putting motion, making sure that your shoulders don’t rotate toward or away from your target. If your shoulders do rotate, you will hit one or both of the tees on either side of your ball. The goal is to hit neither tee.
To be a good putter, you need to know how much the green slopes. But if you’ve never played a course, you don’t know. In fact, the more famous a course is, the less information there is about its greens. If you’re playing somewhere like St Andrews, where there are millions of rounds played every year, someone could tell you exactly where the breaks were. But they won’t, because that would be cheating.
The solution: practice reading greens at home by putting on your carpet.
Golf courses are designed so that water drains off the greens towards the sides and back (i.e., away from the hole). Rainwater collects in depressions or “bowls” and then it runs off again into little trenches called “swales.” To find out which way your carpet is sloping, fill up a cup of water and place it on your carpet. Then watch which way it flows until it stops. That’s what we call “grain.” It’s also known as “nap,” since it can make your ball go against the nap if you’re not careful.
Take a look at the putter shaft, which should be straight up and down. If you notice any tilt, readjust your grip until the shaft is straight and perpendicular to the ground. This will ensure that you avoid any sidespin on your ball and make a pure roll.
Once you are in position with the correct grip, it’s time to get into your stance. Pulling your arms back, turn your shoulders away from the hole so that they become parallel with the ball-to-hole line. In addition to turning your shoulders, also turn your hips back on an angle so that they are open to the target line.
Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with most of your weight on the balls of your feet (60 percent on the left foot, 40 percent on the right). Your hands should be about 4 inches in front of the ball at address, hanging directly below your shoulders.