Putting speed control tips

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Clive Tucker provides these putting speed control tips to help you get down in two from long range more often

1 Posture check

As we all know, putting is where you turn the quality of your ball striking into a quantifiable score. That’s why it’s human nature, as soon as you hit each putt, to see where it’s gone. However, this can be dangerous. Many players come out of their address posture far too early to track the ball. This can actually lead to a poor strike and the putter cutting across the ball through impact. So this weekend, as you are competing for real, have one single thought in your mind when you putt – to retain your posture until the ball comes to a finish. This one little tip could make all the difference to your success on the greens.

2 Connection drill

Where does the momentum for your putting stroke come from? For many people, the answer to this question would be the hands but actually, what you are looking for is to use your bigger, core muscles to dictate the stroke. As long as your arms are nicely connected to the movement of your body, you’ll find a much more consistent, reliable action. A great drill is to place your putter headcover under your collar. Make a series of strokes and simply aim to rock that headcover back and forth. This shifts your focus from the ball or your hands to your shoulders and the true engine of the stroke. This will train the connection between your arms and body while also ensuring that your body initiates the momentum.

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3 Round The Clock Redeemer

The best short putters in world golf have a consistency of set up that is the foundation for a reliable putting stroke. This drill is designed to help you develop that consistency. Place three golf balls in four evenly spaced positions around the hole, 3ft from the target. Effectively, you are aiming to go round the clock three times. You can miss once and carry on but as soon as you miss twice, you need to start again. The key to doing this well is paying close attention to your set up for each putt you hit. Resetting yourself between each putt, giving them all the same level of importance is vital. If you manage to hole all 12 in a row, move back to 4ft and try to do it again.

4 Putting speed control tips

As we all know, one of the keys to great putting is your feel for pace. But how do you train this? The Call It Drill is designed to do just that, improving your instinct for how hard to hit each putt you face. Find a flat 20ft putt and lay down a handful of golf balls. Make a series of practice swings looking at the hole and then hit the putt. After each ball you hit, close your eyes and say to yourself whether you think the ball has come up short, long or just right. Once you’ve ‘called it’ look up to see if you’re right. This drill works brilliantly to refine your feel, leaving you with a real sense for the importance of strike and distance judgement.

Clive’s checklist

• Retain your address posture through impact
• Use your core muscles to initiate the stroke
• Keep a good connection between your arms and body
• Find a consistent address position for every putt you hit