15 Green
The first putt
If every putt is a new idea, you will three-putt even when you can see the hole.
Home / The first putt
The situation
You stand over the ball and the stroke changes every time. The face twists, the wrists flick, or you stare at the hole and stab. This page is the start of the stroke. If the line is fine and the ball still races past or dies short, that is speed, not a new grip.
A check you can do
From a few steps, roll a ball with your hand toward a hole or a coin. Notice the pace that dies near the target. Then hold the putter and send a ball at that same pace. If the putter ball is much faster or much slower than the hand-rolled ball, the stroke is adding speed you did not choose.
The fix
- 01Eyes over the ball, or a touch inside the line Not outside it, toward your toes. If you can see the whole toe of your trail foot from address and none of the ball's inside edge, you have drifted out.
- 02Set the face first The putter face looks at the start line, then the feet follow, the same order as setup and aim. A face that is open at address starts the ball right before speed matters.
- 03Hold it at a 3 The scale is on grip pressure. The trail hand does not flick. Both hands quiet, palms still facing, even if you use a different join than your full swing.
- 04Rock the shoulders The putter head stays low to the ground. The wrists do not hinge to help the ball. A chip that is really a putt is described on the chip page. This is the same motion with the putter.
- 05Match the hand-rolled pace Back and through are the length you saw when you rolled the ball by hand. When the ball is on line and still finishes in the wrong place, leave the stroke alone and open the speed note.