Any tips on improving putting?

If you figure it out let me know!!!
I started playing in some tournaments a few years ago where you play strictly by the rules - no gimmies, and I cannot believe how many times I can lip out a 2 foot putt.
Hope my golf buddies don't read this.

Barry, I won’t tell if you won’t….

There are many great suggestions for practice in this thread but lessons and a fitting are the best starting points. If the toe hang doesn’t match your swing, then you will constantly be fighting the putter and the line to make a putt.

Like Barry, it seems like I can make more putts from 8 feet than 3 feet. It is tempting to try to watch a short putt, but turning my head almost always results in a pull. I was instructed to control the backswing to swing one third back, two thirds forward, adjusting the length of the backswing for distance control. This can break down on short putts. I will try to to tap the ball resulting in a push or pull as I lose my natural arc. I now focus 3 foot putts in my basement to stabilize my swing for shorter putts. Tapping the ball tends to allow wrist action, to be avoided at all costs.

Putting is 2-3 times as many strokes as driver. It should get 2-3 times as much time in your practice and warmup.

I concentrate on pace more than anything. Don't worry about holing putts on the practice green. Work on getting a feel for how far the put goes for different strokes going uphill and down. During the round I have started using some parts of the aim point theory. Feeling the slope with your feet definitely helps. Over time you will start to know how much break to play for. A couple looks from both ends then step in. One last look down your line then go. I use a forward press as a trigger. Recently started looking at the hole from 3-4 feet and in. Haven't missed any of those yet so I think I'll keep doing it. Of course I just jinxed myself.

Break it down to one of two issues, either speed control or poor lines and work on those separately. I like to start with an alignment stick and short putt to engrain a repetitive stroke and solid contact. Then after quite a bit of that, I move to distance practice. I look for long putts on the practice green, uphill and downhill and putts that break both ways. These I do not worry about making but a trying to get 3 balls within a foot or two of the hole. Practice, practice, practice. That's the key. You just have to put in the work, there is no magic pill. Good luck!

A few obvious things spring to mind

Is your putter right for your putting stroke... go and do a putter fitting

Is your alignment correct as in do you miss putts leftvor right or just leave them short

Try lagging the putts as it's great going for the birdie but not if you 3 putt

Just my thoughts

Go see a PGA instructor/teacher. They can spot your flaws pretty quickly. Might costs you a few bucks, but if you really want to improve, this is the answer. Then practice, practice, practice.

To Dale's point, it's more than likely either poor alignment or a speed issue, but if you had 5 birdie chances and were +8 for those 5 holes, it just might be both! Alignment sticks are great and really help build confidence..Speed control is another thing all together. When my speed is off,I'll go to a practice green and put 4 tees in a square 2 feet apart equidistant to each other.

Start with 8 footers and 5 practice balls. When you get them inside the square go to 10 feet and so on.This drill should help alleviate 3 putting, assuming you can make a 2 footer most of the time.

Hope this helps.

Clock drill. Set balls in a circle 3 feet from the cup. It will give you several different breaks. Back up to 5 feet and repeat. Then continue back in increments repeating the drill. I would gocus on having to make all the 3 footers before going back to 5 feet. The short putts are where you will make up strokes.

I use the clock drill a lot. I agree with what everyone is saying. Two points:

1. Speed over line - especially from 5 feet and in. The deceleration stroke is the worst.
2. Know your stroke. Is it open to closed or square to square? Then, does the putter fit that stroke? (Face Balanced vs. toe hang)

Lastly, you are correct...putting decently can shave strokes off in a hurry.

You can also check out all of the putting tips and drills we have on our instruction section:

www.titleist.com/.../videos

We have a lot of great content here from some of the best in the business.

Good luck with the flat stick!

Don’t focus too much on the break/line but more on the pace.

Also practice 6ft and in more than anything, if your get half decent with your distance control you’ll be leaving yourself putts of just a few feet to tidy up, knowing you can hole them from up to 6ft will do your confidence wonders.

Try not to over complicate it and keep it simple, lag it up and tap it in.

simulate what's on the course, and keep your composure and repeat these mental practice

Definitely try a putter fitting it will do wonders. If your putter is not right for you you will have trouble.

Another tip on short putts say 5-6 ft range hit it dead centre of the hole and that takes a lot of the break out of it
Too many people play too much break at dead pace to drop it in the hole and they miss
I was told this by a pro many years ago and unless you are playing somewhere like Augusta national it works

In my own experience, I'd recommend focusing on speed more than anything else on the putting surface. The goal being to eliminate 3-putts. Typically if you can get speed correct you will leave yourself inside a managable circle around the cup, maybe 3 feet on a bad day. If you can't control your speed on the green, being able to read a green won't matter in most circumstances. Go to the instruction tab here on Titleist, search for putting, and you will find a bunch of great drills.

I have a putting ritual I stick to religiously. I do not deviate. I believe you have to establish a putting process. Whatever process you go through to get ready to putt, repeat it exactly every time!!!

when I got fitted for my putter, my fitter said to me "The three important things about putting... they are Speed, Speed, and Speed." I have taken that to heart and it has helped my putting tremendously, yes your start line matters but it's all about speed and pace. Also, take a look into the FlightDeck Putting device, it helps with your contact and making sure that you hit the center of the face, complete game changer in my eyes.

Absolutely, your fitter's wisdom on putting resonates deeply. Speed reigns supreme, a mantra for mastery. Launching putts with finesse, the FlightDeck Putting device intrigues, revolutionizing precision. A center strike's allure for consistent contact is undeniable. Embracing this insight, a symphony of speed and accuracy embellishes your game. Kudos to your transformative journey and the FlightDeck's splendid contribution to your putting finesse.

I agree with a lessons - you can learn a lot about your stroke and setup using Sam Putt lab. I routinely practice with a putting mirror to dial in my setup. Spending time working on tempo has helped with starting line and controlling putter face at impact.

So while speed and pace are important, they will not be consistent course to course. To put the ball on line is very important. Eye line putting mirrors are great for this. You can make sure your setup is good, check path and even make sure you are on line.

Every player uses different heads, grips and styles but good putters will always deliver the putter face square to the ball and start the ball on line.

As the saying goes it is not the arrow but the Indian. I always go see my pro when I am having putting woes. Could be set up, stroke, tempo, many things, but they can help you work it out. In that funk right now myself, particularly on slow greens. Also, not playing much. Need to practice, practice, practice.

Just trust your line don’t sit over the ball find your line walk up to the ball and hit that line with the force you think you need for that line to make it and I guarantee you start hitting more 1 Putts if it doesn’t go in, it’s gonna be a Tap in 2 putt

I have dealt with the same issue. Go to the putting green after the range and feel great. Do gate drills and distance control drills; sink a bunch of putts and leave the others to "tap" in range. Then go to the course and 3 putt a 15-20 footer for bogey. The only thing that I have found to help is developing a pre-putt routine that minimizes the amount of time spent over the ball. If I stand over the ball for too long, I start second guessing my alignment, start the negative thoughts of leaving the putt short again, and getting tense/mechanical.

Now I stick to this....

1 - I find my line
2 - move to the side of the ball and take 4 practice strokes while looking at the hole to get a sense of the stroke needed
3 - look at the ball just long enough to get my putter set
4 - look back at the hole
5 - look at the ball and start the stroke.

Not saying it will work, just offering up what I have found to work.