Your Putting Routine Matters
Putting is about skill and focus. These putting tips will help you with the focus part of the equation.
You enter each round with all the skill you have up to that point, but your focus changes from round to round. A solid putting routine will help minimize how much your focus changes. The concept is pretty simple – the putting routine focuses you and puts you in the same mindset every time you putt.
There are 9 main parts to the putting routine
- Reading the green
- Approaching the putt
- Stance
- Alignment
- Grip
- Practice strokes
- Final Set-Up
- Stroke
- Follow-through
Each of these parts, with the exception of the practice strokes and final stroke, should be done in exactly the same way every time. Performing your putting routine in exactly the same way every time provides focus and eliminates nasty distracting thoughts. If you use the same putting techniques every time you will be using all your skill and give yourself the best chance of making each putt.
1. Reading the Green
Read the green. Now you may get some flack from you playing partners, but, I like to quickly check out a few things:
- The slope and contour
- The grain
- The wind
- Ball Magnets (toward big water, away from mountains, etc.)
I start below the hole and then walk above the hole, to the left and to the right and come back to below the hole checking each of these factors.
I don’t take a lot of time doing this. It can be done very quickly. I’ll take the flack to gather enough information to have the best chance of reading the break and speed.
For more on reading greens, see Putting Tips – 5 Tips on Reading Greens.
2. Approaching the Putt
Your approach may be different than mine. I stand behind the ball and follow the path I think the ball will take to the hole. I see it as a movie. That’s the line I want and I see it before I stand over the ball. I then take two quick putting strokes to trigger the putt.
3. Stance
Take the same stance every time. If you don’t have one at this point then pick one a stick with it for awhile. Routine means the same way every time.
I step to the ball and take my stance about six inches from my final stance so that I can take my practice strokes.
4. Alignment
I may be over-simplifying things, but the best alignment for you is the one where the ball goes where you intend it to go. I won’t go into anything other than saying find the alignment that works with the stroke you have now.
I’ve seen golfers with alignments where I couldn’t possibly hit the ball where I would want it to go, but it works for them. It may be compensating for other flaws in the putting stroke, but it works for them. Do what works for you.
5. Grip
Broken record time. Take the same grip every time. If you change grips often, pick one and stay with it. Over the putt is no time to be picking a grip.
6. Practice Strokes
I take two practice strokes. Both strokes are exactly how I intend to strike the ball. The difference from putt to putt will be in the back stroke distance and follow through distance. For me they are about equal.
I take the practice stroke that I believe will give me the right distance and speed.
7. Final Stance
Without changing the stance, alignment or grip, step to the ball. From this point, nothing will change before the stroke.
8. Stroke
I stand over the ball, take a final look at the path and the movie I created during the approach and take my stroke. I use the trigger “tick-tock” for timing.
9. Follow-Through
I hold the stroke and keep it held in the same position before I move my head to follow the putt. For consistency, you need to follow-through with a smooth stroke. Jabbing or stabbing at the ball will cause all kinds of problems. The putts will push and then you’ll compensate and start pulling and then you keep changing and you’ll take so many more putts than you need. Avoid this tragedy and stroke through the ball. Think pendulum.
This is my routine. Yours will be different. The point is that to take the fewest putts per round you need a putting routine. It is the framework for you putting success. No putting tips or putting instruction will make you a better putter until you have a solid putting routine.