subject: 10 Essential Putting Tips To Lower Your Score [print this page] If you don't get the golf ball in the hole, you can't get those birdies and par putts you need to shoot a great round of golf.
To that end, you will find some time-tested putting tips here to help you find the bottom of the cup. No matter whether you are a "scratchie" or an "even bogies" player, these ideas will help you improve your golf game.
Putting Tips for the Stance
1) Get your eyes directly over the ball. Then get into your stance. If your eyes are directly over the ball it should hit the ball you are going to putt.
2) Set up in a firm base. Make sure your legs are wide enough to make sure your lower body stabilizes the body when you make a stroke. When the wind is blowing make the stance even wider.
3) Make sure your arms are lined up correctly. A line across your arms should aim directly at the hole. If someone stood behind you and put a golf shaft against your arms, it should point at the hole. The more accurately the line points at the hole, the more accurate your putting back stroke.
Putting Tips for the Stroke
4) If you have a blade putter make sure the stroke moves inside on the backswing and inside on the follow through. With a face balanced putter the stroke should be straight back and through with the face looking at the hole.
5) Never use your wrists in your putting stroke. Shoulders, arms and hands move together as a unit in a good putting stroke.
6) Keep your head still. No bobbing or looking up. Listen for the ball to go into the hole, don't look up to watch it.
7) Make sure the putter goes back and through the same distance. Keep the putting stroke even both sides for smooth acceleration and to stop quitting on putts.
8) Keep the rhythm of your stroke even and steady. Count one-two' to yourself to keep the stroke smooth. Rhythm in a putting stroke is just as important as rhythm in a full swing.
9) Don't leave your putt short. All putts from inside twenty feet should end up past the hole. Make sure you read the green to end up eighteen inches past.
10) Another key putting tip: when reading the green, look at both sides of the hole. You will often see that the break looks different from behind the hole.
Follow these simple proven putting tips and watch your scoring improve on your next round of golf!
