5 basics you need to understand to improve your putting

Like any golf skill, good putting is earned – not given. Sound technique is important, but understanding the core concepts and the cause and effect behind them is what will help you become your own best coach and shave strokes consistently.

1. Your putting path follows your shoulder line

Your stroke path affects both contact and starting line, but it does not something you should try to manufacture. The putter swings naturally along the line your shoulders create.

2. Posture determines your shoulder line

A good posture is the basis. When you hinge forward from the hips and let your arms hang naturally below your shoulders, your stroke will follow that shoulder line every time. Let the movement happen instead of trying to direct it. Path is one result of a solid design, not something you impose.

3. Backstroke length determines the distance

Ask golfers what determines distance and you’ll hear many different answers. But from a physics point of view it’s simple: the distance is determined by the length of the backstroke, not by how hard you ‘hit’ it. A shorter backstroke falls slower and produces less energy. A longer one falls faster, sending the ball further. Let length determine speed – not effort.

4. The ‘acceleration myth’

When a putt comes up short, friends like to say you’re “slowed.” In reality, your backstroke was probably just too short. Great putters often have a forward stroke that is light shorter than their backstroke, because the ball collision slows the putter. Recently, while teaching with Sam Burns – one of the best putters on the PGA Tour – his stroke was a perfect example: smooth, unforced, with a natural fall. No added hit. No intentional acceleration. Just pure pendulum swing and elite distance control.

5. Most putts break

Almost every putt has some curve, even the shorter putts that golfers often assume are straight. With tap-ins, you may not need to aim outside the hole, but you can Doing must identify the break before determining your goal. Start your routine with reading, not with your setup.

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