Foundation 05
Putting
About 40% of all strokes happen on the green. Speed control and a calm, repeating stroke matter more than a perfect line.
1 min read
Putting accounts for roughly 40% of your strokes, and yet it's the easiest part of the game to practice — you can do it on a carpet at home. Small gains here show up on every single hole.
A stroke you can repeat
- Eyes over the ball, hands under your shoulders, gentle grip.
- Rock the shoulders like a pendulum; keep the wrists quiet.
- Equal length back and through. Let the through-stroke match the backstroke so tempo stays smooth.
Speed is king
Three-putts come from poor speed far more often than poor aim. Practice rolling putts to a fringe or a tee so the ball finishes within a foot — distance control is the skill that erases three-putts.
The 17-inch rule
Try to roll every putt so that, if it misses, it finishes about 17 inches past the hole. A ball with that pace holds its line best and never leaves a long comebacker.
Reading the green
Most beginners under-read break. Walk to the low side, look at the slope between ball and hole, and trust your first read — overthinking ruins more putts than misreads do.
You'll hear
Always strike the ball firmly so it can't break offline.
What's true
Ramming putts turns makeable ones into long comebackers. Good speed lets gravity work with the slope — most putts you miss should die into the hole, not blast past it.
Key takeaways
- Putting is ~40% of strokes and the cheapest skill to practice.
- Pendulum stroke from the shoulders, quiet wrists, equal lengths.
- Speed control beats perfect aim — kill the three-putt.
- Trust your first read and commit to it.