I'll Never Leave Another Putt Short Using These 3 Pro Tips
Leaving a putt short is infuriating, especially when you've read the line correctly. These 3 expert tips will help you get the ball to the hole on the greens...
![Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach and PGA Pro John Jacobs demonstrating how to avoid leaving putts short](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BgmMLviyrKLwXpoATomb-415-80.jpg)
There are plenty of things golfers can do to give themselves the best chance of making a putt, like investing in the best putter, reading expert putting tips or spending some time exploring the right putter grip. Ultimately, however, if you don't get the ball to the hole you are going to whittle away shots, even if you are reading the greens correctly.
Dialling in your pace on the greens is crucial to avoid three-putts, so we asked Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach John Jacobs to share his expert tips to ensure you never leave another putt short...
1. Rhythm
Good putters have a solid understanding of rhythm, which stays the same regardless of the length of the putt. But a lot of players keep their backswing the same length, then attempt to hit it further by increasing the speed from one length of swing.
This is a common cause of leaving putts short. You wouldn’t do that when pitching – you would have a longer backswing for a longer pitch and a shorter backswing for a shorter pitch.
2. Follow-Through
Your stroke length needs to match the length of the putt, so you have to vary backswing length. But you must still commit to it and keep the follow-through going. Increasing the length of your follow-through will help get the ball to the hole.
A one-to-two ratio is good – your follow-through should be almost double the length of your backswing, allowing you to ‘collect’ the ball on the way through rather than hitting at it.
3. Read The Line Past The Hole
Many golfers read their line up to the hole, but if you’re leaving putts short, imagining your line going a couple of feet beyond will help you visualise it running past the hole if you miss.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
The hole is merely in the way on your line – it’s not the end of the journey. I would also recommend taking your practice stroke three feet behind your ball as you will have then rehearsed the slightly stronger stroke needed to stop leaving it short.
Want To Read More Expert Golf Tips?
The Golf Monthly archive is a gold mine of brilliant reads, documenting a journey through the history of golf dating back to our first issue in 1911. Take advantage of over 100 years of invaluable tips from the best tour professionals and coaches in world golf, by subscribing to the online Golf Monthly Archive.
Location: Cumberwell Park
John has been Head Professional at Cumberwell Park in Wiltshire since it opened in 1994. He gets as much pleasure teaching beginners as he does county players, although being Wiltshire's Head Coach, Boys Coach and Girls Coach means he's always in demand. He also works with England Golf, and was England Coach Of The Year in 2020.
He's had the pleasure of working with many top players over the years, and has fond memories coaching the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Tom Lewis before they made the leap into professional golf. John specialises in swing analysis and short game development.
-
How Many Birdies Scottie Scheffler Has Made In 2024
Scottie Scheffler has had an incredible year he has largely dominated throughout, but how many birdies has the World No.1 achieved?
By Mike Hall Published
-
Omega European Masters Tee Times: Round Four
Matt Wallace leads the way at the Omega European Masters as he looks for his fifth DP World Tour win
By Mike Hall Published
-
Surfer Signals To Shadow Spotting... 10 Innovative Iron Play Tips And Drills From An Expert Golf Coach
Sometimes, to get the results you desire, you have to think outside the box. Well, PGA pro John Howells has done exactly that with these expert iron play tips
By John Howells Published
-
This Household Item Can Cure Your Golf Swing And Banish The Shanks...
Golfers are generally pretty resourceful, but have you ever considered using a sponge to improve your golf game? You will after reading these expert tips...
By Tom Motley Published
-
This Is Pure Short Game Sorcery... Expert Tips To Get Up-And-Down From 80-Yards
The 80-yard pitch shot is a tricky skill to master, but with these tips you can transform your short game and add another weapon to your wedge-play arsenal...
By Gary Munro Published
-
Rickie Fowler's 5 Tee-To-Green Tips To Help You Play Better Golf
Rickie Fowler is an iconic name in the game of golf, with plenty of tour titles and a few near misses in the Majors. Here, he shares five tee-to-green tips...
By Garrett Johnston Published
-
Sway No More... Rid Your Golf Swing Of This Destructive Habit With One Expert Drill
Swaying in the golf swing can lead to a plethora of undesirable outcomes, but this simple drill from Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Josh Mayo can remedy the issue...
By Joshua Mayo Published
-
Don't Ever Slice The Golf Ball Again... This One Simple Drill Is Your Saviour
Sick of a horrendous slice plaguing your performances and your scorecard? Banish the fault for good with this simple drill from a Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach
By Jo Taylor Published
-
This Pre-Shot Drill Is Used By A World-Class Ball Striker On The PGA Tour... And It Will Drastically Improve Your Golf Swing!
Striking the golf ball perfectly takes plenty of practice, but much of the hard work comes before you even swing the club. These 3 expert tips explain how...
By Joshua Mayo Published
-
Putting In The Wind: 3 Pro Tips To Score Well In Tough Conditions
Whether you love links golf, or the wind is causing havoc during your midweek medal, these 3 expert tips will help you to navigate the greens and putt well...
By Clive Tucker Published