One of the most frustrating experiences for a golfer is to hit a green in regulation and walk away with a bogey. Taking three putts to find the bottom of the cup is the bane of many golfers’ existence. On average, putting makes up around 33 percent of your score, so being a good putter, or least an average one, is extremely important.
So, how do you improve? Obviously, fundamentals are the first step. That means being properly aligned, with your eyes over the ball, taking the putter back on an even path and following through. But you can have the fundamentals of Tiger Woods in his prime and if you haven’t properly read the green or don’t have a wise approach, you will be out of luck.
With that in mind, here are some tips that will help you determine the slope and speed of the green, build confidence, hit better putts and, of course, record lower scores.
- Take an Early Reading Lesson
Your job of reading the putt should begin long before you reach the green. It should start from 100 yards away, from where you can easily see how the green slopes and play your shot accordingly.
- Be Predictable
This means developing a pre-shot routine before every putt and never changing it, no matter the situation. Many amateurs will hit long putts they don’t expect to make quickly, and then labor over critical short ones forever. That only creates tension. Sticking to your routine will build confidence, and confidence is essential on the green.
- Determine the Low Point of the Green
Greens are designed to repel water. It’s up to you to figure out the direction the water goes. Visualize pouring a bucket of water onto the green and imagine where it would run off. This will give you the lowest point on the green, and unless it’s a two-tiered green, all putts will break toward this point.
- Go Low
Speaking of the low side, one of golf’s greatest putters, Dave Stockton, once wrote that you should always read putts from the low side, where it is much easier to see the line.
- Use Your Feet
Don’t just look at the putt from behind the hole; walk all around it and feel the slope of the green in your feet. Do you feel like you’re walking uphill, downhill or on a side slope? Your feet will help you determine the speed and break needed.
- Go to School
Watch your playing partners closely, especially if they have a putt on the same line. Of course, watch how it breaks, but also take note of how firmly the putt was struck.
- Miss Like a Pro
Maybe you’ve heard the term “missing on the pro side.” Most amateurs don’t play enough break, which causes the ball to fall to the low side, especially when it loses speed. If a putt is clearly breaking left to right, the more break you play, the better chance you have of draining it. Aim for the high side.
- Find Your Circle of Love
Even pros don’t make many putts longer than 20 feet, so your chances of draining one from that distance is minimal. What you don’t want to do is take three putts. Instead of thinking of making longer putts, focus on the speed and leaving the ball within a five-foot circle. With any luck, the next words you might hear from your buddies are, “That’s good.”
- Pick Your Spot
Jack Nicklaus famously said that he would pick out a spot a few feet in front of his ball and imagine hitting full shots that fly over the spot. You can do the same with putts. Once you’ve determined the line, find a blade of grass or a discoloration in the green in the first foot of the putt and roll the ball over it. You’ll be amazed at how much more accurate your putting will become.
- Trust Yourself
Better yet, trust your stroke. A confident stroke with the wrong read is better than a tentative stroke with the right read. Be decisive and be aggressive.