How to Improve Putting: Beginner's Guide - How To Break 80

Improving your putting is one of the fastest ways to lower your golf scores. This guide covers the basics, from grip and stance to alignment and stroke mechanics, helping you build consistency and confidence on the greens. Here’s what you’ll learn:

Grip: Use a light grip (4-5 out of 10 pressure) to avoid tension. Start with a neutral position for better control.
Stance: Keep feet shoulder-width apart, distribute weight slightly forward, and ensure your shoulders are level and parallel to the target line.
Alignment: Position your eyes over the ball and align the putter face square to the target.
Stroke: Focus on a pendulum motion driven by your shoulders, keeping wrists steady for a smooth, repeatable stroke.
Reading Greens: Learn to analyze grain direction for better speed and break judgment.
Practice Drills: Use drills like the Ladder Drill or Circle Drill to improve distance control and accuracy.

With just 30 minutes of focused practice a few times a week, you can see noticeable improvement. Combine these tips with tools like alignment mirrors, putting mats, and training balls for effective practice. Consistency and a structured routine are key to success.

How to Putt ⛳️The COMPLETE Putting Guide

Basic Putting Setup: Grip, Stance, and Alignment

Your putting setup lays the groundwork for consistent and reliable performance on the greens. Skip these fundamentals, and you’re likely to struggle with missed putts and frustration.

How to Hold Your Putter

How you grip your putter directly influences the movement of the clubface during impact. Many golfers grip too tightly, creating unnecessary tension that travels up the arms, ultimately sabotaging their ability to control distance.

Instead, aim for a light grip pressure – around a 4 or 5 on a scale of 10. Your grip should feel secure but relaxed, similar to holding a small bird: firm enough to keep it from escaping, but gentle enough not to harm it.

The traditional grip is a great starting point for beginners. Place your left hand (for right-handed golfers) on top of the grip, with your thumb pointing straight down the shaft. Your right hand should be positioned below, with the palm facing the target. Both thumbs should align along the shaft, creating a unified grip that enables your hands to work together.

If the traditional grip feels unstable or overly wristy, consider trying the cross-handed grip. This grip flips the hand positions, placing your left hand below your right. Many golfers find this approach reduces wrist movement and promotes a smoother, more controlled stroke. While it may feel awkward initially, give it time during practice to see if it suits you.

Whatever grip you choose, ensure it feels neutral – neither twisted left nor right. When you look down, you should see about two knuckles on your left hand. This neutral position helps keep the putter face square at impact.

Setting Up Your Stance

A solid stance provides the foundation for a repeatable stroke. Start with your feet about shoulder-width apart, and position the ball 1–2 inches forward of center to ensure you catch it on a slight upward stroke.

Distribute your weight evenly, with a slight favor toward your front foot – about 55% of your weight. Avoid leaning excessively forward or backward, as this can throw off your balance. Your knees should have a slight flex – not locked straight, but also not deeply bent.

Pay close attention to your shoulder alignment. Your shoulders should be level and parallel to your target line. Many golfers unknowingly tilt their shoulders, which can cause putts to veer off course before the stroke even starts. A quick way to check this is by holding a club across your shoulders – it should point parallel to your intended putting line.

Getting Your Alignment Right

Alignment begins with your eye position. Ideally, your eyes should be directly over the ball or just slightly inside the target line. This positioning gives you the clearest view of your intended path and helps you aim with precision.

To test your eye position, set up as you normally would and drop a ball from eye level. It should land on or just inside your golf ball. If it lands too far inside or outside, adjust your posture until you find the correct position.

Next, ensure the putter face is square to your target. Even small alignment errors can become big misses over longer distances. Take your time to carefully aim the putter face before settling into your stance.

Using alignment aids can make a big difference during practice. A putting mirror, for instance, helps you check your eye position and shoulder alignment. Alignment sticks or even a simple piece of string can help you visualize the proper target line.

Finally, your body alignment should match your putter face alignment. Your feet, knees, hips, and shoulders should all run parallel to your target line. Picture standing on railroad tracks: your body is on one track, while your ball and target are on the other.

Rehearse this setup routine until it becomes second nature. The more consistent your setup, the more consistent your putting will be. Once you’ve nailed your grip, stance, and alignment, you can shift your focus to perfecting your stroke.

How to Make a Smooth Putting Stroke

Once you’ve nailed your setup, the next step is refining your stroke. A smooth putting stroke is all about creating a repeatable motion that ensures the putter face connects squarely with the ball every time. Keeping things simple is the key to consistency.

Creating a Pendulum Motion

Picture your putting stroke as a pendulum, like the one on a grandfather clock. The movement should be steady, controlled, and driven by your shoulders – not your hands or wrists. This pendulum-like motion relies on a consistent backstroke and follow-through, allowing the putter to move at a steady pace and reach its peak speed just before it strikes the ball. This rhythm and flow are essential for controlling distance and maintaining precision.

Focus on moving your shoulders, arms, and putter as a single unit, rocking back and forth in harmony. Keep your grip soft and your wrists quiet to let the putter swing freely in its natural arc.

Imagine the putter head gliding smoothly in a steady arc, without any forceful pushing or pulling. Use your backswing to gather momentum and let gravity take over during the forward stroke. Many golfers describe this as a natural, effortless motion where the putter seems to flow right through the ball.

This approach ties directly to your setup, reinforcing the consistency needed for a dependable putting stroke. By adopting a true pendulum motion, you’ll not only improve accuracy but also gain confidence. Over time, controlling distance will start to feel second nature.

Reading Greens

To putt effectively, you need to understand how to read greens. A key part of this is analyzing the grain direction, which influences both the speed and the break of your putt.

Take a close look at the green’s surface. Shiny areas show the direction of the grass’s grain – putts in this direction will roll faster. On the other hand, darker areas mean you’re putting against the grain, which slows the ball down and minimizes the break.

Learning to read the grain not only helps you judge speed more accurately but also improves your overall pre-shot routine and distance control.

sbb-itb-bcd8bdd

Practice Drills and Training Tools

Once you’ve nailed your setup and stroke, the next step is refining your putting skills with focused drills and the right tools. A structured approach to practice can take your putting game to the next level far more effectively than aimless sessions on the green.

Best Practice Drills for Beginners

The Distance Control Drill is a great way to improve your feel for speed without worrying about sinking the putt. Set targets at 10, 20, and 30 feet, and aim to stop the ball as close to each mark as possible. This helps you develop a sense of how much force is needed for different distances.

The Ladder Drill builds on distance control by adding progression. Place markers at 3-foot intervals from 6 to 18 feet. Start at the closest marker and work your way out, focusing on consistent speed and stroke adjustments for each distance. This drill sharpens your ability to fine-tune your stroke length.

For short putts, the Circle Drill is a confidence booster. Arrange balls in a circle around the hole at 3 and 6 feet. Begin with the shorter distance and work your way outward. This drill not only improves your accuracy but also prepares you for the variety of angles you’ll face on the course.

Putting Training Aids That Help

Putting mats are perfect for year-round practice at home. Many come with alignment guides and simulate different green speeds. Choose a mat that provides enough room for meaningful practice, including follow-through.

Alignment mirrors are invaluable for instant feedback. They help ensure your eyes are directly over the ball and your putter face is square to the target line, two key factors in consistent putting.

Alignment sticks are simple yet versatile tools. Lay them parallel to your target line to check alignment or use them to create stroke path drills. They’re affordable and effective for honing your technique.

Putting plates with built-in levels are excellent for consistent setup. They help with ball positioning and ensure your shoulders stay level. Many also feature alignment lines to extend your target line, making it easier to aim accurately.

Training balls with alignment lines make it easy to see if your putts are rolling on the intended path. The line on the ball reveals whether your stroke is causing any unwanted spin, providing instant feedback on your mechanics.

Setting Up a Practice Schedule

A structured 30-minute practice session is all you need to see improvement. Start with 5–10 minutes of alignment work using tools like mirrors or alignment sticks. This ensures you’re starting the ball on the correct line and avoids bad habits.

Next, spend 10–15 minutes on speed control drills. The Ladder Drill or putting to targets without a cup are excellent choices. Mastering speed control can make the difference between an easy second putt and a nerve-wracking recovery.

Wrap up with 10–15 minutes of short putts from 3, 6, and 9 feet. Challenge yourself to make 10 consecutive putts. If you miss, start over – this builds the mental toughness you’ll need under pressure during a round.

For longer sessions, expand each segment proportionally. A 60-minute practice could include additional competitive drills, like "20 in a Row Putting" or "10–20 ft Putting", to sharpen specific skills. Alternate these drills weekly to cover all aspects of your game.

Keep track of your progress by recording your success rates in each drill. Reviewing your stats over time not only keeps you motivated but also helps identify areas that need more attention.

Focused practice beats sheer volume every time. Just three 30-minute sessions a week can yield noticeable improvement. Combine these drills with regular play – like a quick 9-hole round – to test your skills in real-world scenarios. Over time, these habits will help you build the consistency needed for more advanced putting strategies.

Golf Improvement Resources

Once you’ve nailed down your setup and stroke, it’s time to take your putting skills to the next level. Advanced tools and structured practice can help refine your game and lower your scores. How To Break 80 offers a range of putting resources designed to target weaknesses and build consistency. Let’s dive into how these can help you improve.

How To Break 80 Putting Resources

If you’re looking for more structured guidance beyond your usual practice, the Precision Putting Video Course ($49.00) is a great place to start. This course provides a step-by-step guide to mastering key aspects of putting, such as speed control for long putts, consistency on short putts, and developing a reliable pre-shot routine.

For long putts (30–40 feet), the course focuses on improving distance control – critical for turning birdie chances into reality. It demonstrates drills using a tee or ball marker to help you refine your lag putting skills.
For short putts (3–6 feet), it introduces techniques like keeping your head down until the ball drops, which can reduce mishits and boost confidence.

The How To Break 80 eBook ($29.00) complements the video course by offering detailed strategies and drills to reinforce these concepts. It highlights that most 8-handicap golfers average 33.4 putts per round, underscoring the importance of sharpening your putting game to close the gap between greens performance and overall scoring.

For a broader improvement plan, the Essential Golf Improvement eBook Bundle ($19.00) tackles every aspect of your game, including putting basics, to help you achieve better overall scores.

Why Use How To Break 80

How To Break 80 builds its resources around proven methods to address common struggles on the greens. With only about 3–6% of golfers able to break 80, their tools focus on the areas where most players lose strokes – especially the short game.

A key part of their approach is encouraging realistic practice that mirrors on-course conditions. Instead of repeating the same putt distance over and over, they recommend mixing it up – try 30 feet, then 6 feet, then 2 feet, and so on. This varied practice better prepares you for the unpredictability of real play.

The platform also offers free blog articles packed with tips and strategies to enhance your skills. These articles cover advanced putting techniques, mental game strategies, and seasonal practice adjustments to keep you improving throughout the year. Combined with the paid courses, these resources provide a well-rounded approach to mastering your short game.

Conclusion

Improving your putting takes time and dedication, but with the right mindset and consistent effort, you can make noticeable strides on the greens. The basics we’ve discussed – grip, stance, alignment, and stroke mechanics – are the building blocks of effective putting. Keep these fundamentals in mind as you refine your routine.

Consistency is key. Focused, shorter practice sessions are far more effective than occasional, lengthy ones. Aim for 30 minutes of purposeful practice rather than spending hours without a clear plan. Try this approach: dedicate 5–10 minutes to alignment drills using putting aids, another 5–10 minutes to speed control exercises, and finish with 10–15 minutes practicing short putts from 3, 6, and 9 feet, incorporating your full pre-shot routine.

Practice like you play. For more advanced routines, spend 10 minutes working on straight 8-footers, then challenge yourself with 30 minutes of varied putts at different distances and breaks. Avoid repetitive drills – mix it up to simulate real game scenarios. Add pressure by setting goals, like the "Suicide" drill, where you work backward from 15 feet to 3 feet, losing a ball for every missed putt. Remember, even pros make only about half of their putts from 8 feet.

A solid pre-shot routine connects your practice to actual performance. Develop a consistent process: read the putt, visualize the line, and take a few practice strokes. Stick to this routine whether you’re on the practice green or playing a round with friends.

Tracking your progress is essential for improvement. Keep a record of your make percentages at various distances to pinpoint areas for growth and celebrate your wins. Whether you prefer a notebook or a putting app, tracking keeps your goals clear and your motivation high.

FAQs

What are the most common putting mistakes beginners make, and how can they fix them?

Beginners often face challenges with putting due to a handful of common mistakes. One major issue is gripping the putter too tightly, which leads to tension and limits your control. The solution? Opt for a relaxed grip – apply light but steady pressure to maintain control without stiffness.

Another frequent misstep is moving your head during the stroke. This small motion can disrupt your alignment and throw off your consistency. To counter this, focus on keeping your head still and aim for a smooth, controlled stroke from start to finish.

Tackling these habits can make a noticeable difference in your accuracy and boost your confidence on the greens. And don’t forget – consistent practice and a little patience go a long way in sharpening your putting skills!

How can I add putting drills to my practice routine without feeling overwhelmed?

To easily integrate putting practice into your routine, begin with short, focused sessions that hone specific skills like accuracy or distance control. Spend 15–30 minutes a few times a week on drills such as the Circle Drill to sharpen precision or lag putting to improve speed control.

Mix things up by rotating drills and taking rest days to maintain motivation and prevent burnout. Keeping your practice sessions brief and enjoyable helps you make steady progress without feeling bogged down.

How do training aids like alignment mirrors and putting mats help improve my putting skills?

Practicing with tools like alignment mirrors and putting mats can make a big difference in sharpening your putting game. Alignment mirrors are particularly helpful for perfecting your setup – they ensure your stance, eye position, and stroke alignment are on point, which is crucial for building a consistent stroke. On the other hand, putting mats let you bring the practice home. They’re great for developing muscle memory, boosting accuracy, and building confidence by mimicking the feel of a real green.

What makes these tools so effective is the immediate feedback they provide. This allows you to focus on refining your mechanics and reinforcing good habits. With regular use, you’ll notice steady improvement in your putting skills.

How to Improve Putting: Beginner’s Guide