Putting is often described as the heart of golf, and perfecting your putting technique can transform your game from good to great. While many players concentrate on powerful drives and long shots, the precision and finesse of putting hold the key to lowering scores and enhancing overall performance. 

In this piece, Meridian CondoResorts will delve into expert advice and insights from professional golfers, offering essential golf putting tips to help you refine your technique. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting, these strategies will guide you on how to putt better, making your time on the green both enjoyable and rewarding.

Start with the Right Grip

Experiment with Different Grips

Finding the right grip is foundational for effective putting, and it’s worth experimenting with various styles to see what suits you best. Professional golfers often try out multiple grips before settling on the one that works for them. The traditional grip is a solid starting point, placing your dominant hand lower on the club. The cross-handed grip, popularized by players like Jordan Spieth, places the dominant hand at the top, promoting a square face at impact. 

The claw grip, used by Phil Mickelson, can help reduce wrist action for a more consistent stroke. It’s crucial to maintain a light grip pressure, as this allows you to feel the putter’s weight and aids in achieving a smooth, controlled stroke. Spend time on the practice green experimenting with these grips to discover which one enhances your comfort and performance, leading to better putting results.

Light Grip Pressure

Applying light grip pressure is a key aspect of improving your putting technique. A lighter grip allows you to feel the natural weight of the putter, leading to a smoother and more controlled stroke. Many amateur golfers tend to grip the club too tightly, which can introduce tension in the hands and wrists, negatively impacting the fluidity of the stroke. By easing the pressure, you can enhance your touch and improve your ability to gauge distance. Practice holding the putter with just enough firmness to maintain control without squeezing. 

This light touch encourages the putter to swing like a pendulum, driven by your shoulders rather than your hands. Professional golfers consistently emphasize the importance of this approach, as it’s essential for achieving consistency and precision on the greens. Make it a habit to periodically check your grip pressure during practice to ensure you’re maintaining the right balance for optimal performance.

Find What Works for You

Finding the right grip in putting is a personal journey that varies from golfer to golfer. While there are numerous grip styles recommended by the pros, the best choice is the one that feels most comfortable and effective for your game. Spend time experimenting with different grips on the practice green. Try the traditional grip, the cross-handed grip, or even the claw grip. Pay attention to how each affects your stroke and consistency. It’s important to remember that the grip is a deeply individual part of your putting technique. 

What works for one player might not suit another. Listen to your intuition and feedback from your practice sessions. The ultimate goal is to develop a grip that feels natural and allows you to putt confidently and comfortably. By focusing on what works best for you, you’ll establish a solid foundation for improving your putting performance and overall enjoyment of the game.

A man dressed in elegant clothes is hitting a golf ball on a lush green field at a golf club.

Set Up Properly

Align Your Body Correctly

Proper body alignment is crucial for effective putting. Start by positioning your feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to the target line. This alignment ensures that your body and the putter are moving in sync towards the target. Your eyes should be directly over the ball, which helps with accuracy and consistency. Maintaining a good posture is also vital. Bend slightly at your hips, keeping your back straight and your stance relaxed. 

This position allows for a natural, pendulum-like stroke driven by your shoulders. Major champions often stress the importance of this setup because it lays the groundwork for a consistent and reliable putting stroke. Take the time to practice setting up correctly before each putt. Use alignment aids or mirrors to check your stance regularly. By focusing on body alignment, you’ll improve your aim and increase your chances of sinking more putts.

Maintain Proper Posture

Maintaining proper posture is essential for a consistent and effective putting stroke. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, allowing for a stable base. Bend slightly at your hips while keeping your back straight and shoulders relaxed. This position helps you maintain a balance that is crucial for a smooth, pendulum-like motion. Your eyes should be directly over the ball, which aids in achieving the correct alignment and enhances your ability to read the green accurately. 

Avoid slouching or excessive bending, as these habits can disrupt your stroke’s rhythm and consistency. By focusing on good posture, you allow your shoulders to initiate the putting motion naturally, minimizing unnecessary wrist action. Regularly check your posture during practice sessions and make adjustments as needed. 

Proper posture not only contributes to better putting performance but also reduces the risk of strain and injury, making your time on the green more enjoyable and effective.

Relaxed Stance is Key

A relaxed stance is vital in setting the stage for a successful putt. Tension can disrupt your ability to execute a smooth stroke, so it’s important to keep your body calm and relaxed. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart to provide a stable base. Keep your knees slightly bent and your muscles loose. This stance will allow you to swing freely with your shoulders, reducing the tendency to manipulate the putter with your hands. 

A relaxed stance also helps in maintaining balance throughout the stroke, ensuring that your body remains steady while the putter swings like a pendulum. Take a few deep breaths before addressing the ball to release any tension. This practice not only enhances your physical setup but also calms your mind, allowing you to focus on the putt. Embracing a relaxed stance is a key component in improving your putting accuracy and consistency over time.

Focus on Your Eyes and Alignment

Aim with Precision

Aiming with precision is a critical element in successful putting. Your eyes play a vital role in ensuring that the putter face is aligned correctly with the target line. Start by focusing on a specific spot on the ball, which helps maintain a steady gaze and prevents unnecessary head movement during the stroke. Many golfers find it helpful to use alignment aids, such as a line on the ball or features on the putter, to double-check their aim. 

These tools provide a visual reference that can increase your confidence and accuracy. Ensure that your eyes are directly over the ball; this position aids in better alignment and perception of the target line. Regular practice with aiming drills can significantly enhance your ability to start putts on the intended line. By aiming with precision, you’ll be able to consistently direct the ball towards the target, improving your chances of making crucial putts.

Use Alignment Aids

Utilizing alignment aids can drastically improve your putting accuracy by ensuring your putter face is square to the target line. Many golfers incorporate lines or marks on their golf balls as visual guides. These aids help you align the ball with the intended path and maintain focus throughout your stroke. Additionally, putters often come with built-in alignment features, such as lines or dots on the clubhead, which provide further assistance. Spend time on the practice green experimenting with these tools to find what works best for you. 

Consistent use of alignment aids can build confidence and provide a reliable check during your setup routine. Practicing with these aids not only refines your alignment skills but also helps develop a more repeatable and consistent stroke. By incorporating alignment aids into your putting practice, you can enhance your ability to aim accurately, reducing the risk of misalignment and increasing your chances of holing more putts.

Consistent Eye Focus

Maintaining consistent eye focus is crucial for executing precise putts. Your eyes should remain fixed on a specific point on the ball throughout the stroke. This focus minimizes head movement, which can lead to misalignment and errors in your putt. Consistent eye focus helps you maintain a steady posture and allows for a more fluid motion, ensuring your body stays in sync with the putter. By training your eyes to fixate on a single spot, you enhance your ability to deliver the putter squarely to the ball. 

Practicing this technique can lead to more reliable and repeatable putting strokes. To improve your focus, consider practicing drills that reinforce this skill, such as placing a coin or mark on the ball and keeping your eyes on it throughout the stroke. Consistent eye focus not only improves accuracy but also builds confidence, helping to lower scores on the green.

Master Your Stroke

Pendulum Motion

The pendulum motion is fundamental to mastering your putting stroke. This technique involves swinging the putter back and forth in a steady, rhythmic manner, much like a pendulum. The shoulders should drive the motion, while the hands and wrists remain stable, ensuring that the putter head moves in a straight line towards the target. This method helps maintain control and consistency, reducing the likelihood of errant strokes. 

To develop a smooth pendulum motion, focus on keeping your body still and letting your shoulders do the work. Practice this motion by standing in front of a mirror or using alignment rods to ensure your stroke remains on plane. Regular practice will help instill muscle memory, making the pendulum motion more natural over time. By adopting this technique, you’ll achieve a consistent tempo, leading to more accurate and reliable putts, and ultimately, a better overall performance on the green.

Firm Wrists, Shoulder Movement

Maintaining firm wrists while relying on shoulder movement is crucial for a consistent and effective putting stroke. Firm wrists prevent unwanted flicking or twisting that can cause the ball to veer off course. Instead, focus on using your shoulders to control the stroke, ensuring a smooth, pendulum-like motion. This approach provides greater stability and consistency, as the larger shoulder muscles are more reliable than the smaller muscles in your hands and wrists. 

Practice this technique by keeping your wrists locked and allowing your shoulders to drive the putter back and through the ball. You can use drills that reinforce this motion, such as placing a towel under your arms to encourage shoulder-driven strokes. Over time, this method will help you develop a more repeatable and dependable putting stroke. By relying on firm wrists and shoulder movement, you enhance your control and accuracy, leading to better performance on the greens.

Adjust Stroke Length

Adjusting the length of your stroke is essential for controlling the distance your putts travel. For shorter putts, a compact stroke is usually sufficient, enabling more precise control over the ball’s speed and direction. As the distance to the hole increases, gradually extend your stroke length, allowing for greater momentum to be imparted on the ball. This adjustment helps ensure that you maintain the necessary power to reach longer distances without sacrificing accuracy. Practice varying your stroke length on the practice green by using distance drills, aiming to leave the ball consistently close to the target. 

This approach develops your touch and feel, crucial elements in mastering distance control. Remember to keep your rhythm and tempo consistent, regardless of the stroke length, to avoid inconsistencies in your putts. By learning to adjust your stroke length effectively, you’ll improve your ability to handle a variety of putts with confidence and precision.

Golfer hitting golf ball with driver to fairway.

Practice Distance Control

Distance Drills

Practicing distance drills is an effective way to enhance your putting distance control. These drills help you develop a feel for the speed and force required to get the ball to the hole. One popular drill involves setting up a series of targets at varying distances on the practice green. Begin by putting to the closest target, gradually working your way to the farthest. This progression helps you learn to adjust your stroke length and speed based on the distance. 

Another useful drill is the ladder drill, where you place balls at regular intervals from the hole and aim to stop each ball within a designated zone around the target. These exercises train your ability to judge distances accurately and fine-tune your touch. Consistent practice with distance drills will improve your confidence and precision, reducing the likelihood of leaving putts short or rolling them too far past the hole.

Develop Feel for Speed

Developing a feel for speed is a critical component of effective distance control in putting. This skill allows you to gauge how hard to strike the ball based on the distance to the hole and the conditions of the green. Begin by practicing on different greens to experience a variety of speeds and textures. Use drills that focus on hitting putts to specific distances, paying attention to how much force is needed for each. A simple drill involves putting towards the fringe or another boundary, aiming to stop the ball as close as possible without crossing it. 

This helps calibrate your stroke for different distances. Additionally, practice on sloped greens to understand how inclines affect speed. Over time, your ability to read the green and adjust your stroke accordingly will improve, leading to better performance on the course. By developing a keen sense for speed, you’ll leave fewer putts short or long, thereby enhancing your overall game.

Set Targets

Setting targets is an effective strategy to improve your distance control when putting. By establishing specific goals on the green, you can focus your practice efforts and measure your progress more accurately. Start by placing markers or tees at various distances from your position on the practice green. Your objective is to consistently land your putts within a small radius of these targets. This exercise helps fine-tune your ability to control the distance and speed of your putts. As you become more adept, adjust the target locations to challenge yourself further. 

Incorporating this approach into your practice routine builds confidence and enhances your precision. It also allows you to simulate real-game scenarios where pinpoint accuracy is crucial. Over time, setting and achieving these targets will translate into more consistent performance on the course, reducing three-putts and improving your overall score.

If you want to learn more, feel free to contact our team and we will push you in the right direction!