Putting

We’re finally on the green! THIS is where the scoring happens – remember that one 2-foot putt counts the same as a 250 yard drive.

Putting may look simple, but no two putts are ever the same. Each one brings a new challenge—different distance, speed, and break. The key to becoming a great putter is practice: learning to read every situation and building a “memory bank” of experiences you can draw from on the green.

Let’s finish off putting with another acronym, M.A.P.

Movement – Which was will the ball move? Is it uphill or downhill? Is it moving left or right?

Arms locked – Keep the arms and wrist locked. Movement should be from the shoulder, like a pendulum

Picture it – Putt to the picture, and trust your practice stroke

Movement

Putting starts before you even hit the ball — it begins with understanding how the ball will roll on the surface. Reading a green means evaluating three things: distance, speed, and movement.

Distance: First, get a sense of how far the putt is. Tell yourself a distance (e.g. this is a 15 foot putt). Putting is all about muscle memory from different distances and situations. If you tell yourself it’s a 15-ft putt, your muscles will remember how hard to hit a 15-ft putt.
Try pacing it out: one big step is roughly one yard (about three feet).

Speed: Ask yourself: Is this uphill or downhill?
Downhill putts roll faster and require a softer touch, while uphill putts need a little more power. Speed control is everything — too much or too little pace can turn an easy two-putt into a frustrating three.

Break: Finally, read the break — will it move left or right?
The best way to see this is to crouch about six feet behind your ball, with both the ball and hole in view. Try to gauge if the left side is higher or the right side is – the ball will naturally move from the high side to the low side.

Here’s the tricky part: the amount of break depends on distance and speed. A slower putt breaks less; a faster one breaks more. Balancing the two takes experience — and practice.

Arms locked during the putting stroke

The goal of putting is simple: roll the ball straight toward your target.
To do that, keep your stroke simple and your body quiet. The fewer moving parts, the better. Keep your upper body steady and lock the arms and wrist. Move the putter by rocking your shoulders — not your wrists.

Putting is all about touch and feel. Think of your stroke like a pendulum — your backswing and follow-through should be equal. If your putter moves six inches back, follow through six inches forward. Also, never stop the club at impact — let it glide through the ball to ensure a smooth roll.

Tiger Woods once shared advice from his father: “Putt to a picture.”
As you take your practice strokes, visualize the ball rolling on its path — see the break, the speed, and the finish. When you step up to the ball, take the same swing you pictured. Keep your head down, trust your stroke, and let the ball roll just as you imagined.

Short Putts: Inside 5 feet

Short putts are your scoring lifeline — you need to make these at a high percentage.
On the practice green, set a goal to make four out of five putts from five feet before moving on.

As you practice, vary your positions — different slopes and speeds — but always focus on consistency. And remember, if you do miss, miss smart: leave it close enough for an easy tap-in.

Long Putts: Lag Putts

Lag putts — anything over 10 feet — are all about distance control.
Your goal isn’t necessarily to make it, but to leave yourself an easy second putt.

Keep expectations realistic:

• Amateur golfers make 10-foot putts about 20% of the time.
• From 15 feet, that drops to around 10%.

That’s why lag putting is about proximity, not perfection.
I like to call it the “hula-hoop rule” — try to get your ball to stop within the size of a hula hoop around the hole. If you do that, you’ve hit a great lag putt.