5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Putting

The quickest way to lower your scores isn't a new driver or a better swing - it's improving your putting. Putting makes up roughly 40% of all strokes in a round, yet most amateur golfers spend less than 10% of their practice time on the green.

1. Master Your Distance Control

Direction gets all the attention, but distance is the real key to good putting. A putt that's the right distance but slightly offline still finishes close to the hole. A putt with perfect direction but wrong speed can leave you with a tricky follow-up.

How to Practice

• Set up at 10, 20, and 30 feet from the hole
• Try to stop every putt within a 3-foot circle around the hole
• Focus on feel, not mechanics
• Practice uphill and downhill putts equally

2. Read the Green Before You Get There

Start reading your putt as you walk towards the green, not when you're standing over the ball. You'll see the overall slope much better from a distance.

Key Reading Tips

• Look at the overall slope of the green as you approach
• Check the area around the hole - putts break most in the last few feet
• Factor in grain (the direction grass grows) if relevant
• When in doubt, trust your first instinct

3. Develop a Consistent Pre-Putt Routine

Every professional golfer has a putting routine. It doesn't need to be elaborate:

1. Read the putt from behind the ball
2. Pick a spot 1–2 feet ahead on your intended line
3. Take one or two practice strokes to feel the distance
4. Align your putter to the spot
5. Putt without delay

The key is consistency - do the same thing every time.

4. Fix Your Alignment

Most amateurs aim incorrectly without realising it. Here's a simple check:

1. Set up a putt on a straight, flat section of the practice green
2. Place a ball down and align as normal
3. Without moving, look at where your putter face is actually pointing
4. You'll probably be surprised - most people aim right of where they think

Use alignment aids (a line drawn on the ball works perfectly) to train your eyes.

5. Practice with Purpose

Random putting practice is better than nothing, but structured practice improves you faster:

• Gate drill - place two tees just wider than your putter head, 2 feet in front of the ball. Putt through the gate.
• Clock drill - place 4 balls around the hole at 3 feet, then 6 feet. Make them all before moving on.
• Lag putting - from 30+ feet, try to get every putt within a putter-length of the hole.

The Bottom Line

Putting improvement is free, doesn't require fitness, and shows results almost immediately. Spend 15 minutes on the practice green before your next round and you'll notice the difference.

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