Putting Tips for Lower Scores
Do you have trouble shaving strokes off your game around the greens? We’re going to take a look at some good putting tips that can help you knock as much as 10 shots off your score. It doesn’t matter who you talk to, whether it’s a PGA Tour pro or your friend that plays golf with you once a week, but pretty much everyone who has at least a little bit of golf knowledge knows that you cannot score well without a good short game. Sure – being able to bomb it off the tee and dial in your iron game is important too, but without the ability to put, chip and pitch well it’s very difficult to play consistently good golf.
People say that putting is 50% of the game, and I would tend to agree with that. If it’s not 50% then it’s pretty close, and I think everyone should spend at least 50% of their practice time on the putting green. Many golfers tend to spend hours at the range hitting drivers and long irons, but the truth is that most of your shots can be saved on or around the green. Let’s take a closer look at some putting tips so that you can feel more confident with the flat blade next time you tee it up.
It’s very important to keep the putter blade low. I cannot stress enough how important this is. This especially applies to longer puts where the tendency is to take a chipping backswing. If you can manage to keep the putter low coming back and through the ball then your puts will be more accurate and consistent.
Keep your head very still. Try to force yourself to keep looking where your ball was even after you make contact with the ball. This will help you have solid, consistent ball contact and will help avoid pulling and pushing the ball.
After reading the line of the put, pick a spot a few yards ahead of your ball and aim for it. This helps longer puts seem much shorter. This also applies to short puts, but make that spot a few feet ahead instead.
Take some practice strokes while standing over the ball. This will help you get a feel for how far you need to hit the put (many golfers spend a lot of time reading the put but don’t spend much time practicing the putting stroke they will need for that specific put). It’s amazing what a few practice strokes will do for your putting.
If you’re having trouble keeping the putter blade straight back and straight through then you might want to try the cross-handed putting grip. For right handed players this means putting your left hand below your right hand, and this helps to force you to accelerate through the shot. Note: It can be difficult to control your distance on longer puts with this technique, but I recommend it if you’re pushing or pulling a lot of your puts.
Try to think of your putting stroke in terms of a pendulum. Your arms should move back slowly and then forward slowly without breaking down your wrists. The putter and your arms should all move together like a pendulum.
Don’t stand over the ball too long. I’m not saying you need to rush, but spending too much time over the ball can cause you to over analyze the shot. Spend plenty of time getting ready for the put by reading the break and speed, take a few practice strokes and knock that sucker in the back of the hole!
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