Golf.com: On the Green

[3-Putt]

How to Fix a Faulty Putting Stroke


Build an obstacle course to get your path and putterface back on track

The Situation

You just shot 10 strokes above your index. To make matters worse, you hit the ball solidly from tee to green all afternoon ? you just couldn't get the ball into the hole.

The Solution

Find a flat section of the green and build the putting station pictured here. Run a static line (use any type of string tied to two golf tees) 10 feet from your ball to the opposite side of the cup. Set the string high enough for your putter to swing under. Next, stick two tees in the green six inches in front of the ball about two ball-widths apart. Position the ball directly underneath the static line and start rolling putts. The station positions you in the ideal address arrangement every time, and gives you instant feedback if you're pushing or pulling putts from the start.

FIX YOUR EYE LINE Use the string to check that your eyes are over the golf ball. The line should look like it's slicing the ball in half. This is a setup must.

FIX YOUR BODY AIM Set your feet perpendicular to the string. This helps you feel what it's like to correctly aim your body parallel left of your target.

FIX YOUR FACE AIM Set your putterface perpendicular to the string. This helps you feel what it's like to correctly aim your clubface directly at the target.

FIX YOUR PATH Make sure your putter swings slightly inside the string on your backstroke, and then slightly inside the string again on your through-stroke. At impact, your putter should move directly underneath the string.

FIX YOUR IMPACT Try to roll the ball between the two tees on its way to the cup. If you miss from this close, you know something's wrong with your face position (at address or impact) or your path, and not due to any slope or grain in the green.


By Scott Munroe
GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher
Published: June 01, 2009

[3-Putt]

How to Kick-Start a Smooth Stroke


This setup trick turns jabs into flowing things of beauty

This story is for you if...

? You don't have a trigger to start your backstroke...
? ...and so you end up jabbing at the ball.

Try This!

Set your putter behind the ball but raise it slightly off the ground. Hovering your putter allows you to feel the weight of the head, since gravity is pulling on it. When you sole your putter on the ground, its weight disappears, robbing you of feel and a smooth start to your backstroke. The feel will be much different, but it gives you the freedom to swing your putter back with proper pace and without pulling or yanking on the handle.


By Don Kotnik
GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher
Published: May 01, 2009

[3-Putt]

How to Make Breaking Putts Look Easy


Treat them like uneven lies in the fairway

This story is for you if...

? You know how to correctly read slope, but it's not translating into more made putts.
? You always play the ball in the same spot in your stance when you putt.

The Situation

You're on the green facing a tough 10-foot breaker. While you think you can read putts like this correctly, you never seem to play enough break.

The Solution

Think about what you do when you have a sidehill lie in the fairway: You adjust your ball position based on the lie (ball back of center when the ball is above your feet to fight a hook; ball forward when the ball is below your feet to stop slices). The same rule applies when you putt ? a breaking putt is just an uneven lie on the green. Here's how to give yourself a great chance to sink it:

If Your Putt Breaks Left-to-Right...

...you're on an uneven lie with the ball below your feet, just like a slice lie in the fairway. Move the ball slightly forward in your stance, almost off your front foot. This will stop you from contacting the ball too soon and missing to the right (on the low side).


By J.D. Turner
GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher
Published: April 01, 2009

[3-Putt]

How to Stop Missing Four-Footers


Follow these 4 setup keys to make short work of the short ones

This story is for you if...
• You get nervous over short putts...
• ...because you often push or pull them.

The Problem
When you stand over a four-foot putt, you have almost zero confidence in your ability to make it.

Why It's Happening
Your setup is off, which is causing your putter to swing out of position on your backstroke. And since the putt is so short, it's practically impossible to recover during your forward-stroke.

The Solution
The key to never getting out of position in your backstroke is to start from the correct setup position. If you nail your setup, you'll be able to relax and make a smooth stroke by allowing the putter to move back and forth with your arms and shoulders while keeping your head still. Copy the positions at right.

EYES OVER THE INSIDE EDGE OF THE BALL: This gives you the best optical view of the target line.

HANDS UNDER SHOULDERS: This allows your putter to swing back and through naturally on the proper path.

SHAFT MATCHES THE FOREARMS: They should form a straight line. If they don't, your putter is too long or too short.


HIPS OVER HEELS: This sets your weight evenly over your feet so you can stay still and balanced from start to finish.


By Todd Sones
GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher
Published: July 01, 2009

[3-Putt]

How to Roll It the Right Pace Every Time


This easy drill helps you sink putts with authority

This story is for you if...

• You often leave putts short of the hole.
• You're not making solid contact with your putter.

The Drill

Find a straight 10-foot putt and set two tees in the green just wider than a ball's width apart. Place the ball just a sliver inside the tees so that when you putt you hit the pegs before you hit the ball. As you roll putts from this setup, you'll find that the ball really "pops" out of the gate, even though you can't make a full stroke. After only a few attempts, this should stop your tendency to decelerate and come up short of the hole.

Why It Works

While it's a good idea to try to make a shorter backstroke and a longer through-stroke to roll the ball with the proper pace, doing so can create more of a pushing motion without true acceleration. By forcing you to "crash" through the tees, the drill helps you accelerate at impact and roll the ball with ample pace. It's better to get this right than to worry about backstroke and forward-stroke lengths. Think about how you clap your hands. You don't slow your hands before the clap. Rather, you accelerate them to produce the loudest possible sound. The same applies to putting.

Be Careful!

This drill creates a powerful putting stroke, so don't be surprised if you send your first few putts steaming past the hole. It's like driving a Ferrari — the first time you take it out you'll probably smoke the tires, but you'll soon learn to control it.


By Jerry King
GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher
Published: July 01, 2009

[3-Putt]

How to Beat the Breaks


Align to the apex, not the hole, to make more putts

This story is for you if...

1. You always read your putts from behind the ball...

2. ...even on severely sloping greens

The Fault

You're missing badly on breaking putts, which leads to fewer birdies and pars and more bogeys. The simple reason for your struggle is poor green-reading technique and alignment.

The Fix

If you want to get a proper read, you need to look at the putt from behind the line you plan to start the ball on, rather than the one that runs directly from the ball to the hole. To do so, pick a spot where you think the apex of the putt (maximum break) will be and examine the putt by looking from behind your ball to that spot. Set the putterhead square to the chosen target line and then walk into your setup, always keeping in mind that your actual target is the apex of the break, not the hole. Stroke the putt to this spot without being distracted by the actual hole. Use this technique consistently, and your green-reading — as well as your results on breaking putts — will improve dramatically.

Align Design

Finding your ball-to-apex line is only half the battle — you must also be able to align your putterface square to it. Any good putter will feature effective aiming lines. If yours doesn't, consider purchasing a new model. I designed a line of Coutour putters with a large arrow on the back end to help you point your putter easily and consistently.



By Todd Sones
GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher
Published: October 01, 2009