Most Effective Way to Practice Putting

How do you practice putting? What do you find to be the most effective method of practicing putting? Any games to keep it fun?

Recently, I have been practicing putting a lot. Then, I realized I really didn't know what I was trying to accomplish. I mean, I just putted on a practice green at a local course. I didn't have any purpose in it like I do when I hit balls. I just need some new ideas.

The practice putting green at my home course has 9 holes on it, and I like to putt hole-to-hole pretending to play 9 or 18 holes as each being a par 2. Trying to shoot par is fun and adds a bit of stress to the practice, which is great.

1) I like to practice 3 footer on a either a level or uphill green and slowly work further out. I focus on making all my putts without pulling or pushing my putts. I will do this until I feel confident that I can take this on the course. my goal is to check my putting mechanics.

2) I then work on my lag putting from 30 - 40 feet away, so that I can consistently stroke putts within a 3 - 4 foot circle. I will putt out the farthest putt out and putt with a bag of 30 - 50 balls, usually to the side so not to disturb other golfers.

I will practice putting for an hour and sometime two hours at a time.

Finally, to end my putting practice, I will putt one ball to several holes and putt out as in a round of golf.

After practicing putting you should notice a difference on the course when you play, you will make putts to save par for an up and down and make more birdies putts.

Tips
1) holding the club with my life line and not my fingers
2) the club and forward arm should form a straight line without a bend
3) light grip pressure
4) putting with shoulders
5) keep my wrist solid without breaking during ball contact
6) try to keep the putter as low on the back stroke as possible, I found that this helps keep the line and helps you stroke the ball solidly, you will hear and feel the difference.
7) distance control with the length of the backstroke and forward stroke
8) keep the same tempo on all putts and judge distance with the length of the stroke
9) make consistent solid contact with the putter face and ball by listening to the sound and feel of the putter making contact with the ball.
10) be confident that you are going to make every putts without any negative thoughts.
11) have a pre-putt routine that you stick with even for tap in putts within 2 feet otherwise you will be careless and miss the tap in.
12) after practicing you should begin to putt under 30 strokes per round.
13) practicing putting and chipping around the green, they go hand in hand in lowering your putts per round.
14) putting is very personal so do not be afraid to find out what works for you.

Putting and your short game after hours of practicing everyday can be improved so that you can perform like the pros. Not everyone call hit drives over 300 yards or hit a 4 iron 220 yards but we can make a 10 - 20 foot putt to save par, make birdes and even an occasional eagle.

I try to find a hole that I can putt uphill and down hill putts. I start with a 1 foot putt uphill, then a 1 foot putt down hill, then a 2 foot putt uphill, then a 2 foot putt down hill and so on until I feel comfortable.

Then I repeat the process for a left and right breaker. For games, my course usually has 4 or 5 holes, I putt from one hole to the next in some kind of pattern. My goal is to complete them in par or less (2 putts). I will run that pattern until I can complete my goal, then I reverse the direction I was going and attempt the same goal. And to keep me interested, the putts will make me the new Masters champion.......

I love playing this little game:

1. Find a hole in the center of the green
2. First go for 2-footers, 6 spaced equally around the hole in a circle. Pay attention to the break and speed and whether you are sneaking them in or banging them center-cup.
3. Extend the circle to 3-footers. Add a little more break, go for the right speed and make sure you read the putt correctly so that you are hitting it center-cup. One way you can check is if the ball rattles back and forth when it drops in. If it spins around and stops, it wasn't a very good putt for 3-feet, even though you made it. I've hit a lot of crappy 3-footers that still dropped, but shouldn't have.
4. Move out to 6-feet. Read it like 2x3-footers. Hit it twice as hard as 3-feet.
5. Move out to 12-feet, read it like 4x3-footers or two 6-footers. Hit it twice as hard as 6-feet.
6. Move out to 25 feet, read it like 4x6-footers. Hit it it twice as hard as 12 feet.
7. Move out to 50 feet, read it like 4x12 footers, or 8x6-footers. Hit it twice as hard as 25 feet.

This will really tell you where you need practice. Say you are good at 6-feet, but you stink at 12. Are you missing because you can't read the putt? Just read it like two 6-footers. Are you missing it because your stroke breaks down when you double the force? Work on your stroke, tempo, and contacting the sweet spot on long putts. Are you consistently under-reading or over-reading the break?, etc.

I get 3 ball markers(tees will work too) and place them at three feet, six feet, nine feet, and fifteen feet. Hit three balls at each. Don't move on to the next distance until you've made three in a row. Except fifteen footers you can make it two putt each. Then I do further distances where I have to two putt.

#1 on tour is around 27. I think the word "should" up there needs to be removed. For one, this stat is somewhat a poor measure of putting skill. The "best" day I ever had putting, I averaged 1.77 putts per hole (31 putts). The previous round I had 1.66 (30 putts). The difference was that on the 1.66 day, I made more up-and-downs, so I had fewer putts. A pretty good goal for a beginner to intermediate golfer is to consider anything less than 36 "good", but don't count it as a measure of putting skill, rather as iron accuracy + short game skill + putting skill, i.e. pretty useless in my book. If you want to keep a single stat, go with putts per gir. That doesn't tell you anything about what distance putts you need to work on, but it eliminates the short game aspect from the stat, though iron accuracy is still mixed in there. Better yet, just keep track of percentage of 12-footers, percentage of 6-footers, etc.

If I have the practice green all to myself. I'll throw down the same number of golf balls as there are holes. I'll toss them down in the middle of the practice green. Then I putt to each of the holes. Then putt them again if they didn't go in.

If the practice green is busy (usual situation). I'll practice by placing a circle of balls 3 feet around the hole. Keep putting those until you make all the putts (this may take a while) Then practice 10 footers (uphill, side hill, down hill, flat). Then practice longer putts.

Before a round, I find a relatively flat part of the putting green and put two tees in the ground 10 paces apart. I will putt a ball from one tee to the next and back again until I am comfortable with the stroke it takes to hit it that length. This helps me gage how fast the greens are running that particular day compared to others. Next, I will practice 3', 4', 5' etc. to build confidence. Then I move on to chipping.

I think a pro over the weekend had 20 putt during his round of 18 holes. thats incredible.

I usually practice putting while looking at the hole instead of the ball. I am not really concerned with the ball going in but trying to make a natural stroke. You would be surprised how many balls go in the hole and sometimes when I am struggling on the course I will putt while looking at the hole. I get some curious looks and some jabs from my buddies but it works for me.

I personally like to play drawback when I am practicing. I use three balls and go to each hole and play drawback. Seems to work for me.

I will try that, it sound like an excellent way to gauge distance and feel on putts.