Tight grip, roaming eyes, rushed stroke: These aren’t the ideal words that come to mind when you think of putting, but they are pretty accurate when I think about my putting history. Putting felt awkward to me and I often set up to my ball feeling insecure, tensing up on even the shortest putts.
It was only until an embarrassing 4-putt, followed by multiple 3-putts last year on a course where the greens were severely sloped, that I decided it was time I officially changed my attitude about putting.
Instead of dreading it, I had to dedicate practice time and learn to look forward to this part of the game if I wanted to improve. My putting is still a work in progress, but I’m feeling more confident over the ball and in my stroke, reading greens more accurately, and I’ve cut down my 3-putting significantly.
Here are five actions I took that made a noticeable difference on the greens:
Getting Fitted for a New Putter
More than anything, this transformed my confidence in my putting stroke. I recently got fitted for a new set of clubs, but what’s had the most impact is my new putter.
I tried several putters with different types of head styles, weights and lie angles and eventually settled on a blade putter. I couldn’t believe the difference!
Now, putting feels much more effortless, I have a pretty consistent tempo, and I’m able to better control my club face, distance and speed.
Prioritizing Short Putting Practice
Is there anything more frustrating than missing a 2 or 3-foot putt during a match? When you’re tense and jerky with your putter, it’s easy to do.
So, I started there and focused on the putting basics: finding a set up that felt comfortable and replicating it each time. I focused on follow-through in my stroke, which often got cut off during my shorter putts.
I quickly gained confidence with short putts, knowing that I had a pre-shot routine that included relaxing my grip and shoulders and taking my time reading the greens, no matter the distance of the putt. This slowed down my tendency to rush the short ones.
Visualizing My Ball Going Into The Hole
I made a habit of visualizing my drives before hitting them, but I was not taking the time to do that on the green.
As part of my pre-shot routine, I started mentally drawing a line from my ball to the hole, which helped me assess the slope and where I needed to aim. But, most importantly, this started me off with the confident thought that I was going to make the putt.
Feeling confident over a putt is so important to me, that if I feel that bit of awkwardness as I’m over the ball, I step out of my set-up, reassess, and then try again.
Putting By Instinct
One of the pros at my club suggested tossing a golf ball underhand to the hole. I didn’t think much about it; it felt natural and the ball rolled up close to the hole.
I think about that instinctual feeling before longer putts. After I get a general read of the green, I don’t let myself overthink it, get too technical with the putt, or stand over the ball for too long.
Instead, I rely more on instinct to get the ball close to the hole and I’ve seen really good results. Clearing my mind also helps me remember to keep my head still and focus on one spot on the ball.
Getting A Different Perspective On The Line
Rather than just reading the green from my ball to the hole, I’d start observing the green as I walked up to it, noticing which way it sloped overall, and then looking at my line from the side and behind the pin. This gives me a much more well-rounded idea of how the ball will roll, and more confidence to hit the stroke I want.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that putting is now one of my favorite parts of golf. Once I simplified the process and stopped overthinking, it built my confidence around the green. There’s going to be a re-match in my near future with those dreaded sloped greens!
