Any golfer could stand to be a better putter. And any golfer that says otherwise had better take up another sport because clearly he or she has learned everything there is to learn.
If you’re here to become a better putter, here are 5 tips you can try pretty much as soon as you can roll out the putting mat.
First, Read the Green
Understanding the lay of the green is also critical to an accurate putt, because what might result in a straight roll on a flat, level green won’t necessarily do so on one that has dips or other irregularities, or just a slight grade.
Get multiple angles of the green so you can tell if there is a slope and get a handle on the grass on the green. Understanding this will give you some insight into how the putt will break if you do everything else right. Then you can set up and work on your alignment.
Align Yourself
Not just your feet, but your knees, hips and shoulders should all be parallel with the target line. This will help you putt with less tension and help prevent you from pulling or pushing putts. Set up the same alignment every single time. Read that last line again.
If you are having a hard time developing consistency with alignment, consider using an alignment aid and get comfortable using it. Everything else falls into place after your alignment is consistent.
Keep Your Head Still
It’s so tempting to execute the putt and look up immediately to see how it’s going to break. But you need to fight this temptation.
Keep your eyes on the ball through the putt and follow through consistently. Failing to do so can result in misalignment and other stroke inconsistencies that will incur inaccuracy.
Once you have completed the follow through and the putt is on its way, then you can look up.
Repetition (This One Straight from Matt Fitzpatrick)
Matt Fitzpatrick himself offers this tip: set up inside 6 feet, and then practice that putt over and over again. The more you practice the more confident you will become and the more muscle memory you will develop.
Try a Face-Balanced Putter If Your Stroke Lacks an Arc
Lastly, here’s a niche tip that actually doesn’t apply to all golfers but which may prove helpful to some.
If you are a golfer whose putting stroke is straight and lacks arc, and you are playing with a traditional blade putter with toe hang, your putter may be working against you.
A mallet-style, face-balanced putter may offer greater consistency for you if you have a straight front-to-back putting stroke. Playing with a blade putter with toe hang will force you to try to work against the rotation of the club face during the stroke, which can throw a wrench in accuracy.
Conversely, trying a face-balanced putter for a change may help you with consistency and thereby accuracy.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Practice may not make perfect, but it does make better, and the more you can practice and the more consistent you can be, the more you will start to notice results. Be consistent about practice and put in all the time you can. Hopefully, you will start to see your putting game improve in short order.
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