You have your swing down, but when it comes to putting you need a little practice. We have got you covered with putting tips and tricks to refine your putting techniques.

Good putting starts at the approach shot. On your shots into the green, always think about where you need to stop the ball to create the easiest putt to the hole. It is statistically proven that uphill putts are easier to make than downhill putts. Do your best to play your approach shot to an area of the green that will leave you with an uphill putt. This strategy also applies to greenside bunker shots, pitches and chips. Always play the ball so you have an uphill putt.

Favor the high side of the hole. On all but the straightest putts, there is a high side of the hole and a low side of the hole, based on the slope of the green (putts curve high to low). If a putt is not played with enough break, it will pass below the hole on the low side, if a ball does this it has a 0% chance of going in the hole; this is why the low side of the hole has always been deemed “the amateur side.” Conversely, if a putt is played with too much break, the ball will pass above the hole on the high side. However, there is always a chance that the ball will slow, react to the break in the green, and go in. Watch a professional event and pay attention to how the putts are breaking and where they miss putts. Nine times out of ten, it’s on the high side. Always give it a chance, play a little more break than usual, and you will be surprised how many more putts will go in.

Distance. Distance. Distance. Golf is a game of distance and direction. To be a good golfer, one must be able to control both. In putting, distance is actually statistically more important. When you set up to putt; pick your line (fully commit to it), then focus your concentration on how hard you need to hit the ball, this should be your only thought when impacting the ball. The goal is to have the ball stop not much further than 1 foot past the hole but always reach the hole. We try to use this speed window because if the ball is moving any faster, the hole effectively becomes smaller; if it is moving slower it will not reach the hole and has no chance of going in. You can read a putt horribly, but hit it the right distance and still be okay, the reverse of that is not so effective. You might say this is a very small window, and you are right, this is simply the goal in mind. To become better at controlling distance I recommend to all my students, The Ladder Drill.

The Ladder Drill. You will need 10-12 balls and a section on the putting green with a slight right to left or left to right break. From one spot, putt your first ball about 5 feet. From the same spot, putt the second ball with the goal of stopping the ball 1 foot past the first ball, putt the third ball a foot past the second ball, etc. Continue this until all of the balls are putted. The result should be a line of balls, each of them one foot apart. This drill is incredibly hard at the beginning, but will get much easier as the feel for distance control comes.

Everyone says practice makes perfect and with golf that could not be more true. These tips will help you make your perfect putt, with some focus and practice.