5 Golf Putting Tips to Improve Your Game

Mastering the art of putting can take your golf game to another level. There isn’t one correct way to approach putting. Instead, there are many good methods. Whether you putt cross- handed or conventionally, learning some fundamentals can turn you into an expert putter. Practicing putting is something that beginners or experts can easily do. All you need is a putter and practice green to work on your stroke.

Get a Grip

There are dozens of different grips but three of the most common are a conventional grip, a cross-handed grip, and the claw grip. Below is an explanation of the grips.

Conventional: With a conventional grip, your left hand is on top for right-hand golfers and it’s opposite for left-handers. This is a popular grip as many players will have their hands intertwined. It’s common because this putting grip is like the grip used for regular clubs. It feels natural to many players, so you don’t have to get used to a new style.
Cross-Handed: This grip, which is called left-hand low for right-hand golfers and right-hand low for left-hand golfers, is the opposite of the conventional grip. Professional golfer Jordan Spieth is one of the most prominent cross-handed putters on the Professional Golf Tour. Players like this grip because it deadens your hands, forcing you to take the putter back in one piece.
Claw: Your hands are split apart for this grip. This grip promotes a softer putt. It also takes your hands out of the grip. It can feel uncomfortable so it might take time to get used to it.

Finding the right grip is a preference matter. It’s like trying on new clothes. Pick what’s comfortable. Golfers often change their grip if they’re in a putting slump. It’s best to work through changes purposefully in practice. Sometimes, experienced players will use two styles of grips. They could use the claw grip for shorter putts and a conventional grip for longer putts. Beginners should just focus on learning one grip and sticking to it. There are several reasons your putting can be shaky. Consider other adjustments before going to a new grip.

Find the Right Putter

For beginners, it’s not necessary to spend days shopping for the perfect putter. Don’t pay too much for a fancy, new blade. Try a few off the rack at a golf store, see how they feel, and then buy one. Getting a feel for what you like takes time.

Experienced golfers are going to invest more energy into finding a putter that’s comfortable for them. Do you want a long putter or a conventional putter? Taller golfers often use long putters, so they don’t have to bend over as much, and they look straight down over the ball.

Some players prefer heavier putters, others lighter ones. There are putters with mallet heads and conventional blade putters. Putters can come in assorted colors, like gold, black, or white. You can get fitted for a putter at a golf shop. Try various brands of putters and find one you like the best, usually with the help of a pro who’s trained in fitting. Putting is partially about confidence. One of the psychological components of good putting is making sure that you feel good about the putter you’re using. That’s why it’s important to like the way your putter feels and looks.

Putting Strokes

Arriving at a consistent way to take your putter back and then follow through is one of the main tenets of a good stroke. Some golfers take their putter straight back and straight through, which is called square-to-square putting. Other golfers use the arc method.

Square-to-Square: With square-to-square, the putter travels back and forth on a straight line. The advantage of the square-to-square method is that it eliminates your hands in the putting motion because golfers are taught to move their putter back with their shoulders, arms, and hands connected.
Arc: The putter travels a slight arc going back and then squares up when the putter hits the ball. The theory is that this putting stroke mimics the full golf swing so it’s more natural for golfers.

Some golfers don’t use the square-to-square because the movements can feel forced. The arc method can be tricky because squaring your club at impact isn’t easy. If you don’t square your putter, you can either pull or push the ball depending on whether the club is closed or open at impact.

Another element of the putting stroke is the length of your backswing. Some golfers take the putter back and through equally. If the backswing is one foot for a short putt, the follow through should be one foot. Others take a shorter backswing and a more aggressive follow through that is longer than their backswing. This creates a quicker tempo while evening out your backswing and follow through and promotes a more rhythmic stroke. Practice both styles on the putting green to see what works best.

Practice Drills

Practicing putting is easy and can be fun. Here are a few drills that can help improve your putting.

Putt Against a Friend: Have an 18-hole competition on the putting green with a buddy. Players alternate picking the holes. They can be long putts with a lot of undulations and curves in them or straight putts. Add your scores for each hole and the lowest score wins. Playing games helps keep you focused.
Around the Hole: Place a ball four feet from the hole and then put a circle of balls equidistant from the hole. Go around the circle quickly and try to sink as many putts as possible. The repetition and quick pace help develop confidence.
Practice Lag Putting: Lagging a putt means getting it as close to the hole as possible. Experienced golfers don’t usually think about making a 60-foot putt. They want to “lag” it within a 3-foot circle of the hole, so the next putt is easy. One way to practice lag putting is to mark off a 3-foot range from the hole with four tees.

Practicing putting is how you develop confidence. Making putts under pressure in competitions is different than doing it on the practice green. A good practice routine can help alleviate some of the tension that making a big putt creates in tournaments.

Green Reading

Learning to read greens is one of the most difficult aspects of putting. It involves educated guesswork about the speed of the putt, the speed of the greens, and how much the putt breaks. There are some fundamental green-reading rules that good putters follow.

Look at the Putt from Both Sides of the Hole: Start reading your putt on the way up from behind the ball, and then use your feet to feel the undulations as you walk behind the hole to read your putt.
Don’t Look at the Hole: When you start your stroke, your aim should be focused on a spot a few inches away from the ball. That’s the line or the route you believe the putt will travel to the hole.
Watch your Partner’s Putts: This is helpful when your ball is in a similar area as your partner’s ball. You can get an idea of the line. Even if it’s not in the same area, seeing another putt helps you recognize the speed of the greens.

Excelling at putting can consistently take strokes off your game. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced golfer, practicing putting is a necessary skill that always can be refined. Often, players go to the range to work on their full swings because it’s easier. But the best golfers know that the best place to lower your scores is on the green.