Mechanics and tempo. They’re the fundamentals to an effective full swing but they are just as important when it comes to putting, and you need to take both onto the course with you.
Before every round I play, I go through two important putting drills with the help of training aids to make sure my mechanics are sound and my speed is spot on. That way, when I step into my first putt on the first green I’m ready to hit the best possible putt I can.
See if these two drills help you hole more putts next time you play.
Mirror, Mirror
I use a putting mirror before every round.
The mirror enables me to make sure my body is in the correct position before I even take the putterhead back. My shoulders are square and my eyes are directly over the ball.
If either of those things are even slightly out, it affects the way the putter moves through the ball.
Slow Your Roll
When I hit my wedges on the range before a round, I use TrackMan [below] to make sure my swing speed is where I want it to be. I do the same with my putter using the Blast Motion sensor. It goes on the top of your grip and I use it to measure my tempo on the practice putting green.
I know what the tempo of my backswing needs to be in order to be good. Some days it feels a lot quicker and some days it feels a lot slower. That helps to keep my tempo more consistent, which in turn makes my pace so much more consistent throughout a round.
And this is not something just for tour players. I bought mine for about $100, so given how many putts most amateurs have in a round of golf, it’s an inexpensive way to feel good about your putting stroke prior to a round.
Give both of these practice methods a try and I bet you will notice a big difference when the time comes to sink the important ones.
