Category: Putting

Top Golf Putting Tips – How to Master the Greens

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If you fall into the recreational golfer category, there is a good chance you are neglecting your putting practice. Don’t worry, it is a common thing. Most of us tend to prioritize our swing over putting all the time. With that being the case, check the top golf putting tips below in order to help you master the greens.

There is no shortcut to getting better at golf, that is the truth. In the same way, there is no shortcut to getting better at putting. However, there are things that can help you on the green.

It takes time to see results when you start changing your golf game.

We all have some routines when it comes to putting. Sometimes we have to change them to see better outcomes.

There is a reason why professional golfers seem to be putting with such ease. Besides all the hours they put into practicing, they do certain things that help even more. Some are related to putting techniques and others are related to knowing the greens better. You will find a few of those things as you keep reading this article.

Image by Courtney Cook on Unsplash
Image by Courtney Cook on Unsplash

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Learn to Read the Greens

Reading the greens the right way is the recipe for lower scores. You can be great at controlling the putting pace, but if you do not get it on the right line all is for nothing. Now, there are things recreational golfers do to read the greens and there are additional things the professionals do.

You will not have enough time to do the reading thoroughly as the pros do, since you can’t spend that much time on the green due to the pace of play. Nonetheless, there are a few things you can do to read them better. Walking around the green and reading it from different positions is one of them.

Additionally, you can walk your putting line and stop at certain spots to see if it tilts either way and how much it tilts. It is also a good idea to observe other golfers in your group when they putt. That will give you an idea of the green speed as well as where the putts are moving toward. You can also find other ways that can work to improve your green reading skills.

Use Practice Greens to Your Advantage

Usually, the golf course has a practice green where you can warm up before your tee time. What I notice a lot is that not that many golfers take advantage of that. It is a shame because it is complementary. On top of that, it can help you a lot for the round of golf you are about to play.

First of all, it is a good way to warm up. There is nothing worse for your body but to start hitting balls cold. Any form of warm-up is good, this one included. Besides that, it can give you information on the current greens’ condition. You can see how fast the greens are so you can adapt your putting for the day.

Image by Frederik Rosar on Unsplash
Image by Frederik Rosar on Unsplash

Rotate Your Shoulders

One of the things that lead to putting inconsistency is using arms or wrists. That way is harder to control the stroke pace and the putter head. If you have a look at the tour pros you will notice how they move their shoulders and arms in sync. It almost looks as if their putter is an extension of their arms.

When you move only your shoulders and arms while putting you leave less room for errors. It might feel weird in the beginning, but once you get hold of it brings more consistency. Everything should be basically locked in with no separate arms or wrists motion. Start doing that and you will see better results.

Strike the Ball Firmly on Short Putts

Greens can be very tricky and sometimes short putts are harder than long ones. For one, you feel more pressure in making a 3-foot putt compared to a 20-foot one. As simple as it seems, it can be far from that. There are a couple of reasons for missing short putts. One is missing the line and the other is the pace.

If you have a look at the pros they rarely make a short putt that dies off by the time it reaches the hole. They always strike the ball firmly on those occasions. Assuming that their line is correct, those firm putts will end up in the hole. That leaves less room for a mistake that can happen if the putt is too soft.

When a short putt is too soft the ball can easily get off the line on the way to the hole. There can always be some slight bend on the way to the hole that you can’t see. Striking the ball firmly eliminates surprises and makes sure your ball goes straight into the hole. Next time find the right line and hit the ball firmly enough to hold the line on its way in.

Image by Lukas Opekar on Unsplash
Image by Lukas Opekar on Unsplash

Find the Most Comfortable Grip

As trivial as it sounds, the grip is very important when it comes to putting. There are many variations of it and it can make a difference. The last thing you need on the green is a grip that does not feel comfortable. Not just that, but it is also important that it brings you consistency putt after putt.

You can try classic grips, unconventional grips like the claw, or even the lead hand lower grip. Play around with it and find the one that suits you the most. On top of that make sure you are using a putter that matches your stroke in order to feel complete comfort while putting.

Strengthen Your Putting for a Lower Score

If you were ever wondering ways you can lower your score besides hitting the ball further, putting is one of them. Think about it for one moment. When you putt with an average of 2 strokes per hole, you end up with 36 putts in a round. If you lower that to around 1.7 putts per hole, you are now at 30 or 31 putts for the round. That is 5 to 6 strokes less on your card.

Who would not like to shave off a few strokes of their scorecard? It may take some time and persistence but it is achievable. The chances are it won’t happen every single round even when you do improve. But when it starts happening more often than not, it will be a good feeling. It is definitely worth working on your putting in order to lower your score.

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Categories: Gameplay Golf Tips Putting

Golf Putting Tips for Beginners – How to Putt Better

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Besides your golf ball, your putter is the only other item in your bag you will be using on every single hole. That emphasizes the importance of doing the right things on the green. Golf putting tips for beginners will help you to putt better with more confidence. There is way more to putting than just rolling the ball towards the hole.

As simple as putting seems, there are more things to pay attention to. It starts with choosing the right club, striking the ball well, and reading the green properly. Professional golfers spend as much time on putting as on any other segment of the game. That is why they are so good at it.

An average recreational golfer usually does minimum putting practice. Since it would require a significant amount of time to practice everything equally, putting gets sacrificed. Despite that, there are things to be done in order to become a better putter. Some practice will still be required, but it is doable.

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Categories: Beginners Putting

What Is the Correct Putting Stroke? – The Different Types

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Putting is often underrated. That is true mostly for the world of amateur golfers. Professionals on the PGA and LPGA tours know well how important putting is. There are a lot of good questions about it. One of the more important ones is what is the correct putting stroke. As with most things related to golf, there is no simple answer.

When you picked up your putter for the first time you stroke the ball in a certain way. There is a good chance you still do it the same way. You should probably keep doing it that way if it works fine. However, there are different types of strokes you could be using. No stroke is the right or wrong one and both could be used efficiently.

Think of it like the different types of swing you use for different distances and different golf clubs. Sometimes you will use a longer stroke and sometimes a shorter one. But not all is in the stroke length, there is something to intensity and swing direction. Playing conditions could be affecting what kind of stroke you use.

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Categories: Putting

Putting Drills for Beginners – Guide to Success

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We already know that practice makes perfection, especially when it has a purpose. Just grabbing a putter and rolling the balls towards the hole can help, but if you just started golfing some putting drills for beginners will help you improve faster. When you get on the green, you will find yourself in a lot of different situations.

You could find yourself in some difficult ones and you want to be ready for it. No matter if it is a 2-foot or a 20-foot putt, downhill or uphill, breaking to the left or breaking to the right, in dry or wet conditions, there are drills that can make your putting easier. Read More

Categories: Beginners Drills Putting

Putting Tips for Beginners – Get Confident on the Green

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Putting is the final part of a golfer’s game on every hole on every golf course out there. It is often neglected when someone starts to play, and for that reason I will focus on some putting tips for beginners to build some confidence on the green. When a golfer begins the journey, almost all the learning and practice time goes into the swing with the driver, irons, or wedges.Golfer Putting

There is little to no time allocated to the segment of putting. I can totally relate to that because that is exactly how my learning curve started. After I figured that out I started paying more attention to what I do when putting so I can correct myself and improve. Like every other segment of the golf game, it is a lifetime learning process.

A lot of times your approach shots are going to be great, and only an easy putt will be needed to roll that ball into the hole, but there are going to be times when more challenging putts are going to be needed. When those situations happen, it is good to have a variety of different strokes in the bag to use on demand. We can get there by following some simple tips that will help us in the process. Below I will touch on different segments of putting from preparation to execution. Read More

Categories: Beginners Putting