Kyle Stanley missed a critical short putt at this year’s Farmer’s Insurance Open that probably cost him the match. The miss tied him with Bruce Snedeker, who eventually won the tournament in a playoff. Short putts can fool you. Just because you’re more likely to hole them than long ones doesn’t make them easy. In fact, short putts can be more difficult because you expect to make them. The added pressure increases the tension in your hands, causing you to stiffen over the putt. If this happens to you, the simple tips below can help:
Below are five keys to draining more short putts:
- Choke down on the putter
- Lower your center of gravity
- Accelerate through the putt
- Stay low without lifting up
- Putt with confidence
The key to sinking more short putts is getting low over the putt, like Jack Nicklaus does. To do that, take a normal putting grip and stance and then choke down on the grip a couple of inches. Getting low makes you feel like you’re not only closer to the ground, but also that the putt is closer. It also lowers your center of gravity.
When putting, take a slow backswing and then initiate the forward stroke. Make sure you accelerate through the forward stroke and stay low through the finish without lifting up. Make a confident stroke.
Getting low helps you hone in on the putt with greater precision. It also helps you eliminating swaying or deviations away from the putting line through the stroke. Picturing Jack Nicklaus in your mind staying low over a putt can help.
Use the golf tips described above the next time you’re facing a short putt and you’ll drain more of those pesky little short putts.
