To professionals, amateurs and beginners alike, shots are won and lost on the golf course with the short clubs. These clubs are known as the scoring club and the most important club in the bag is the putter. It is not for nothing that Tiger Woods has gone through around 10-15 drivers in his career, but only one putter. The putter is the club with the most feel, the most consistency, and is the club that is used the most often. During a round of golf for a 20 handicap, only 10-14 shots will be drivers or woods, 5-15 shots will be long irons, 15-25 shots will be short irons, and around 30 shots will be putts, and maybe more.
Stance When Reading a Putt
When putting, like most other aspects of golf, stances and styles tend to vary greatly. However, as is the case with tee shots and fairway shots, what matters is the area of impact. When lining up your stance, keep your feet close together to maintain a simple balance, around six to eight inches apart. Keep the ball in the middle of your stance and keep it less than 15 inches from your body. Your upper body should be bent slightly over the ball, and you should be looking down at it almost directly.
Routine When Setting up a Putt
Important for all athletes in any sport, maintaining a consistent routine with a proven effectiveness is essential to success. Tiger Woods, for example, has used the same putting routine for years, and it almost always clocks in at around 16 or 17 seconds. In his routine, he reads the putt while addressing the ball, takes two practice swing, looks up at the hole, puts his club to the ball, moves his feet into position, looks at the hole again, brings his head back down and makes his stroke.
Figuring Out the Putting Speed
Like reading any shot in golf, reading a putt means knowing where the hole is, knowing what the area around the hole looks like and knowing what path the ball must travel to get to the hole-including the speed, direction and slope of the green. Reading putts are done differently by many different golfers, and much of reading is a matter of practice and experience.
How To Putt Like a Pro
Some putts could be judged by looking, but other must be felt through practice. Know that balls speed up greatly at the bottom of the slope, and that many common laws of gravity apply. Putts will curve more drastically when hit slowly, and putts that are hit solidly will have much less break. You can best learn putting breaks by analyzing every green carefully, and practicing the different situations that you will be presented with.
Another essential part of your short game, after you learn your putting, is your bunker play. This can save you innumerable strokes as well.
See also: How to Hit a Putt
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