Putting FAQ

The best putting grip neutralizes wrist action and keeps the putter face stable through the stroke. There is no single "correct" grip, but all good putting grips share key traits.

Common effective grips:

• Reverse overlap -- the most popular tour grip. Left index finger overlaps the right hand, reducing wrist hinge.
• Cross-handed (left-hand low) -- puts the lead shoulder in a higher position, promoting a pendulum stroke
• Claw grip -- the trail hand holds the club with fingers facing down, virtually eliminating wrist flip

The key is light grip pressure. On a 1-10 scale, aim for a 3 or 4. Squeezing the putter adds tension that disrupts your feel for distance.

Distance control is the most important putting skill -- it matters more than line. Most three-putts come from poor speed, not poor aim.

To improve distance control:

• Match backstroke length to distance -- longer putts need a longer backstroke, not a harder hit
• Practice the "ladder drill" -- putt to 10, 20, 30, and 40 feet, focusing on getting each ball past the previous one
• Look at the hole while stroking -- on long putts, this engages your natural hand-eye coordination for distance, like tossing a ball

Spend 70% of your putting practice on distance control and 30% on short putts. This ratio matches where strokes are actually lost on the course.

Green reading is about identifying the overall slope first, then refining the details near the hole. Most amateurs focus too much on the area near the ball and miss the big picture.

A simple green-reading process:

1. Read from below the hole -- walk to the low side and look up toward the hole. This gives you the clearest view of the slope.
2. Feel with your feet -- walk the line and notice where the ground tilts. Your body reads slope better than your eyes.
3. Focus on the last 3 feet -- this is where the ball is moving slowest and break has the most effect.
4. Commit to your read -- indecision causes deceleration. Pick a line and trust it.

Most amateurs under-read break. If you're unsure, play more break than you think.

Short putts are missed because of deceleration, peeking (looking up too early), and misalignment. Mechanics matter more than read inside 5 feet.

Three keys to making more short putts:

• Accelerate through the ball -- a shorter backstroke with a firm follow-through eliminates the "yips" feeling
• Keep your eyes down -- listen for the ball to drop instead of looking. Peeking opens your shoulders and pushes the putt.
• Check alignment with a chalk line or string -- most golfers aim further right than they think. Practice with a visual guide until your aim is calibrated.

The "gate drill" -- placing two tees just wider than the putter head -- builds confidence and trains a square face at impact.

Both styles work. The right choice depends on your putter type and natural tendencies.

• Straight-back, straight-through (pendulum) -- works best with face-balanced putters (mallet style). The putter stays square throughout the stroke.
• Slight arc -- works best with toe-weighted putters (blade style). The putter opens slightly on the backstroke and closes through impact, like a mini golf swing.

Neither is superior. The key is consistency. Match your stroke style to your putter design, then groove that motion through repetition. Trying to force a straight stroke with an arc putter (or vice versa) fights the club's natural balance.