McDowell breaking putts video

Graeme McDowell explains how to read and visualise breaking putts so that you can get the ball in the hole in fewer strokes

Breaking putts

I see a lot of amateurs falling in love with starting lines when it comes to breaking putts. To me that is really trying to apply something that is logical and very precise to something that is more creative than that.

When faced with a putt with plenty of break, I really like to try and get an image in my head of what the putt is going to look like in the form of an arc.

What this arc gives me is a point at which the ball is going to enter the hole. For a dead straight putt, the ball will enter the hole at 6 o’clock, while a putt with lots of break might enter the hole at around 9 o’clock.

This is a really good point to visualise and base your feel on. You can then turn a breaking putt into a creative play because it is so hard to pick a precise starting point when there is so much swing.

Look to align and position your body  focusing on that entry point and you should really get a feel for the direction and the pace. My advice is simple, get creative rather than getting so caught up on your starting line.

Remember!

• Picture what the putt is going to look like in the form of an arc
• Pick a point at which the ball will enter the hole
• Dead straight putts enter the hole at 6 o'clock
• Big breaking putts might enter the hole at 3 or 9 o'clock
• Be creative rather than logical and precise

Something else to try on breaking putts is finding your aim line and placeing your ball so that you can see the logo along this line. You could also draw a straight line on your ball with a sharpie and use that instead.

Then just rely on the hill to divert your ball towards the hole. Essentially you're turning every putt into a straight putt, no matter what the actual break of the putt.