The Most Overlooked Part of Putting

[The Gill]

Rhythm and tempo... I've been battling with a month of the pushes and it finally dawned on me. I was trying to fix my stroke mechanically when the whole time I was just jabby...

Any good thoughts or methods on building good rhythm and tempo, AND maintaining it during the round?

[Solaar]

I agree that it is very important. It is also why I keep having problems at the start of every season. What I do is stand on the putting green and practise three things:

1. Loose grip - rarely is it loose enough. This makes me feel that the club is heavier and it's easier to keep the same tempo thorugh the entire shot.
2. Keep my head down until after I've hit the ball.
3. Let the shoulders decide the tempo and always try to start the club in a straight line backwards according to the line I've chosen. I try to maintain a straight line between my left forearm and the club.

All of these three things is very important to me when I'm trying to keep my tempo and get confidence in what I'm doing.