Lots of golfers play for years before finally learning that distance control is more important than reading the break of a green, or your putting stroke in general.
Mostly, this is because the average "hard" putt that you face is between 15 and 35 feet, and these puts are hard to hit for a reason.
Pros hit them only about 60% of the time, and the average duffer is a lot closer to 10 or 20%.
Because of this, your goal isn't always to make every putt, but to get your first putt so close that your 2nd putt is a gimme of less than three feet.
Most golfers say one of their favorite things are "Tap ins for pars.
" If your 30 footer goes in, then great, but you can't count on that working for you every time.
The easiest way to three putt is to mess up the distance on your first one.
So, what putting tip will give you this kind of touch? It comes down to three things, tempo, setup, and reading the speed of a green.
Tempo is literally how fast you swing the club, and how long it takes your complete stroke to finish.
Nearly every golfer has a different speed, but most golfers put too quickly.
You really don't need to hit the ball hard, you need to have a nice, smooth swing, that is even and graceful.
Having a relaxed tempo will give you those days when you say you "putt well today.
" Another thing to consider is that to a degree, your putter swings itself.
Once you let it go, there are forces such as gravity, drag, wind, etc, that move the putter.
To test it, hold your putter in one hand, take a backstroke, and just let it fall.
Most putters will complete the motion for you in a second or so.
Also notice when you do this how smoothly the putter swings.
You want to emulate this.
This is part of your setup.
Address the ball the same way every time, pull the club back the same way, and take the same stroke.
This is critical to creating a consistent speed of your club, and keeping your tempo the same.
Understanding the "speed" of a green is a skill that is only gained through experience.
There are some general tips to follow, though.
The longer the grass the green has, the slower it will be.
Wet greens are slower than dry ones, grass that stands straight up are faster than those that have bent grass, etc.
There's a rating that you can give a green to determine its speed, but that's probably overkill.
Some common sense works just as well.
Mostly, this is because the average "hard" putt that you face is between 15 and 35 feet, and these puts are hard to hit for a reason.
Pros hit them only about 60% of the time, and the average duffer is a lot closer to 10 or 20%.
Because of this, your goal isn't always to make every putt, but to get your first putt so close that your 2nd putt is a gimme of less than three feet.
Most golfers say one of their favorite things are "Tap ins for pars.
" If your 30 footer goes in, then great, but you can't count on that working for you every time.
The easiest way to three putt is to mess up the distance on your first one.
So, what putting tip will give you this kind of touch? It comes down to three things, tempo, setup, and reading the speed of a green.
Tempo is literally how fast you swing the club, and how long it takes your complete stroke to finish.
Nearly every golfer has a different speed, but most golfers put too quickly.
You really don't need to hit the ball hard, you need to have a nice, smooth swing, that is even and graceful.
Having a relaxed tempo will give you those days when you say you "putt well today.
" Another thing to consider is that to a degree, your putter swings itself.
Once you let it go, there are forces such as gravity, drag, wind, etc, that move the putter.
To test it, hold your putter in one hand, take a backstroke, and just let it fall.
Most putters will complete the motion for you in a second or so.
Also notice when you do this how smoothly the putter swings.
You want to emulate this.
This is part of your setup.
Address the ball the same way every time, pull the club back the same way, and take the same stroke.
This is critical to creating a consistent speed of your club, and keeping your tempo the same.
Understanding the "speed" of a green is a skill that is only gained through experience.
There are some general tips to follow, though.
The longer the grass the green has, the slower it will be.
Wet greens are slower than dry ones, grass that stands straight up are faster than those that have bent grass, etc.
There's a rating that you can give a green to determine its speed, but that's probably overkill.
Some common sense works just as well.