Putting tips

Guides to a better putting stroke

Drills, fixes and practice routines for golfers who want to hole more short putts. Most need nothing but a putter and the alignment sticks already in your bag.

Two tees either side of a golf ball on a putting green, with the flag behind

The putting gate drill: how to set it up and why it works

How to set up the putting gate drill with two tees, the two versions every golfer should know, and how to tell what your misses are telling you.

Read the guide
A golfer's hands holding the putter grip in a relaxed putting grip

How tight should you hold the putter? Getting grip pressure right

Too tight and the stroke gets jerky, too loose and the face wobbles. How to find the right putting grip pressure and keep it the same all the way through.

Read the guide
A putter head following through after striking a golf ball on a green

How to stop decelerating on putts

Why golfers slow the putter down into the ball, what it does to your putts, and three drills that build a smooth, accelerating stroke.

Read the guide
A putting stroke trainer from a three-quarter angle

Putting training aids: the main types and how to choose one

Mirrors, gates, rails, arm-lock aids and stroke trainers: what each type of putting training aid teaches, who it suits, and how to pick the right one.

Read the guide
Golfer at address with alignment sticks running up the outside of both arms

How to stop your wrists breaking down when you putt

Why the wrists take over in the putting stroke, how to tell if it is happening to you, and four drills that teach your shoulders to do the work.

Read the guide
Two white alignment sticks held in a V on a putter shaft above the grass

6 alignment stick putting drills using the sticks already in your bag

Six simple putting drills with alignment sticks: aim, path, start line, the triangle, distance control and a pressure test. No other kit needed.

Read the guide
Golfer at address on a putting green, rocking the shoulders with arms and putter as one

The pendulum putting stroke, explained simply

What a pendulum putting stroke really is, why so many coaches teach it, the three things that make it work, and how to practise it.

Read the guide
A putter and golf ball on a living room rug with a glass on its side as a target

A 15-minute putting practice routine you can do at home

A simple 15-minute indoor putting routine using a carpet, a mug and a coin. Works on start line, stroke and pace without a putting green.

Read the guide
A golf ball sitting on the edge of the hole on a putting green

Why you keep missing short putts, and how to fix each cause

The six most common reasons golfers miss putts inside six feet, how to tell which one is yours, and a drill for each.

Read the guide