Jackson Reid
Golf putting is the last step to finishing a hole in golf, and it involves propelling the golf ball into the hole using a putter. It is considered the ultimate test of precision and patience in the game. While there is no single correct stroke, there are several techniques and tips that can help improve your putting. These include understanding the basics, practicing regularly, reading the green, choosing the right putter, and employing mental strategies such as positive imagery and visualization. Additionally, maintaining proper posture, aligning your body and shoulders, and keeping your head still during the stroke are crucial for accurate putting.
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What You'll Learn
Reading the green
Start Early and Take in Your Surroundings: Begin reading the green as early as 100 yards out before you even hit your pitch or approach. Take in your surroundings, including the position of the sun and any shadows that may impact your perception. Look for high points and low points, as greens often tilt towards the fairway, pitching from back to front.
Understand Subtle Slopes and Undulations: Walk around the green to understand the subtle slopes, undulations, and breaks. Use the plumb-bob method by holding your putter by the grip and letting the head dangle. Align the shaft with your target line and observe how the putter head hangs. This will help you determine the slope direction.
Visualize the Path: Before taking your putt, visualize the path the ball should take to reach the hole. Pick a specific spot or line on the green to aim for and commit to it. This mental picture will help you stay focused and confident during your putt.
Break Down the Putt: Divide the putt into two or three sections to get a more accurate read. On longer putts, break it into sections and determine the overall break for each section. On shorter putts, walk in a circular path behind your ball to feel whether you're on an upslope or downslope.
Adjust for Speed and Tilt: Adjust the amount of break you play based on whether your putt is uphill or downhill. Play more break on downhill putts as the ball rotates more slowly, allowing gravity to have a greater influence. For uphill putts, play less break due to the faster ball rotation. When determining the severity of tilt, keep it simple and assess how much higher the higher side is compared to the hole.
Use Technology: Take advantage of technology to aid your green-reading skills. Apps like GolfLogix provide Tour-quality green data, offering direction and distance information. Using these tools in practice rounds can help hone your green-reading technique over time.
Remember, reading the green is a skill that requires practice and patience. By incorporating these techniques into your routine, you'll gain a competitive edge and enhance your overall golf experience.
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Choosing the right putter
There are three main categories of putter clubheads on the market: the blade, the mallet, and the half-mallet. Each clubhead style answers the needs of specific golfers. The blade is the traditional putter shape that you will most likely think of when imagining a putter. Most blade putters will feature a toe hang as they tend to be better suited for golfers with an arched putting stroke. The clubhead of blade putters is also slightly lighter than bulkier models. The mallet putter is the counterpart of the blade putter. Mallets are bigger than blades and often more forgiving. They have higher MOI (Moment of Inertia), which helps resist twisting on off-centre hits. They are perfect for golfers who prefer a straighter, more mechanical stroke or anyone who wants extra help with alignment and consistency.
The type of stroke you have will help determine the perfect putter for you. Most golfers fall into one of two putting stroke categories – straight, or slight arc. The straight putting style refers to a golfer who attempts to keep the club path very straight back-and-through, while keeping the putter face angle square to the target. A golfer who putts using a slight arc will take the club back slightly inside, return to the ball square, and finish on a slight arc to the left. Depending on your stroke, you will need either a face-balanced putter or a toe-hang putter.
The grip size affects how your hands interact with the putter and can significantly impact your stroke. A larger grip tends to quiet the hands and reduce face rotation, which is helpful if you tend to pull putts left (for right-handed golfers). Conversely, a smaller grip may feel more natural to hold. Smaller grips are also lighter, which means that the weight of your clubhead will have an impact.
Ultimately, the perfect putter isn't necessarily the most expensive or the one your favourite pro uses—it's the one that helps you hole more putts.
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Maintaining proper form
Distance from the Ball
Finding the ideal distance to stand from the ball is crucial. Professional golfers typically position their toes about 2.5 putter head lengths from the ball. During practice, experiment with distances ranging from 2 to 2.75 lengths to discover what feels most comfortable for you.
Alignment and Posture
Proper alignment is essential to ensuring your putt is successful. Start by lining up your body, ensuring your shoulders are square to your target. To aid in this, you can use an alignment stick or a golf club, placing it across your shoulders to instantly identify whether your shoulders are correctly aligned. Once your shoulders are lined up, it becomes easier to align your feet accurately.
Additionally, when it comes to posture, try to position your left eye directly over the ball. While this may not always be feasible, it allows for a clearer view of the line of the putt. Similarly, placing your hands ahead of the ball at setup can be advantageous, as it causes the shaft to lean forward. Play around with this concept, adjusting the distance by a few inches or even just a bit to find what works best for you.
Visualisation and Focus
Visualisation is a powerful tool in golf. When preparing for a putt, visualise the ball travelling along the line you've chosen and curving into the middle of the cup. This commitment to your line and stroke is vital before taking your putt. Also, remember to keep your head and eyes still during the putting stroke, maintaining focus on the ball.
Reading the Green
Understanding the slope and condition of the green is crucial. Methods such as the Plumb Bob Method, Visual Inspection, and the AimPoint Method can help you gauge the slope and adjust your putt accordingly. Additionally, utilising tools like green-reading books, which provide detailed illustrations of the green's undulations, can aid in planning your putt more precisely.
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Visualising the putt
First, take a look at the green while you are approaching the area to get a sense of what the green may be doing. When you are close to the ball, squat down to see if the ball will be travelling uphill or downhill, and whether it has any left or right breaks in its path. You can also use your putter as a plumb line to judge the slope. Stand behind your ball, at a right angle to the hole, and hold up your putter so it covers the ball. Then, align the shaft of your putter with the ball. If the shaft tilts to one side, the green also slopes in that direction.
You can also use the flagstick as a guide to the slope. If it is leaning towards or away from you, it can indicate the slope's direction. The AimPoint Method, developed by Mark Sweeney, is another technique to gauge the slope. Stand over your putt and feel the slope with your feet. Try to estimate the angle of the slope – is it a 1%, 2%, or 3% slope? Then, stand behind the ball, facing the hole, and extend your arm out in front of you. Raise a number of fingers corresponding to the slope percentage, and this will give you an 'AimPoint'. This is where you should aim your putt, rather than aiming directly for the hole.
Now, visualise the putt going into the hole. See it going on the line you chose and curving into the middle of the cup. You need to be fully committed to your line and length of stroke before taking your putt. The feel will depend on whether it is uphill or downhill, and the distance to the hole. Practising on a variety of slopes will help you get a feeling for the greens.
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Practising regularly
Regular practice can involve performing targeted drills, such as the Mirror Drill and the Gate Drill, which help to maintain good form and promote muscle memory. The Mirror Drill involves practising your stroke while watching your form in a mirror, while the Gate Drill involves swinging your putter between two objects to ensure a straight stroke.
Another way to practice is to work on your posture and stance. Finding the ideal distance to stand from the ball is important, with professional golfers standing with their toes around 2.5 putter head lengths from the ball on average. When practising, you can experiment with distances between 2 and 2.75 lengths to find the most comfortable distance for you.
It is also beneficial to get guidance from a professional golf coach, who can provide advanced training using technology such as Flightscope, V1 Swing Suite, and Blast Motion. Analysing and learning from each putt is crucial for improvement, and practising regularly will help you develop a feel for the greens and improve your putting accuracy.
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Frequently asked questions
There is no single best technique for putting in golf. The most important thing is to get comfortable and find what works for you. However, there are some general guidelines to follow, such as keeping your head and eyes still and focusing on the ball.
Reading the green involves understanding the slope and condition of the surface. You can use methods such as the Plumb Bob Method, Visual Inspection, or the AimPoint Method to gauge the slope of the green.
It is important to line up your body correctly, with your shoulders square to the target. Professional golfers stand with their toes approximately 2.5 putter head lengths from the ball, but you can adjust this distance to find a comfortable stance.
You can try drills such as the Mirror Drill, where you practice your stroke in front of a mirror, or the Gate Drill, where you swing your putter between two objects to ensure a straight stroke. Regularly performing these drills can help improve your muscle memory and putting technique.
