Putting tips from the best players in the world

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Ben Crenshaw and other golfing greats share their putting tips and secrets. These little nuggets of advice could take your putting to the next level.

Rory McIlroy

Sometimes I’ve made putting too complicated before. The best I’ve putted is when I have simplified it down to the version that is “Let’s start it on line, let’s roll it and see if it goes into the hole”. 

Brandt Snedeker 

90% of my practice on a putting green is 5 feet which allows me to never three putt and always get up and down.

Jim Furyk 

Get comfortable with the speed of your putts than move closer to the hole for short putts. Make sure you build up your confidence before heading to the first tee.

Tiger Woods

On a scale of 1-10, you should feel that you are holding your putter at 5.5-6 of strength. Feel the weight of the putter head for a better overall feeling. 

Ben Crenshaw

You should feel equal pressure with your left and right hand so that you feel your putter head is heavy. You should let the clubhead swinging and let it do the work. 

Gary Player

The speed is the essential ingredient of a good putt. 

Justin Rose 

Posture is the most important aspect of putting because it dictates how you see the line. Get into a posture where you see a straight line. Use a short alignment stick in front of your golf ball and adjust your posture until that stick looks into the middle of the hole. 

Jordan Spieth 

The longer you wait to hit a putt, if you have already read it, the more you are actually thinking about it versus just reacting to what you see. 

Phil Mickelson               

There are a million different strokes, a million ways to make putts but there is one must in all strokes to be a good putter. That is your hands have to continue down to the target line. Never stop your hands. You want your arms and putter to travel at the same speed and to continue down the target line. 

Jason Day 

If you work on your speed and where your ball starts, you are going to putt pretty well. Make sure to keep your knees and head steady for center contact. 

Tommy Fleetwood

The most important aspect of putting is to start the ball on line. Once you have a consistent stroke, you can start focusing on green reading, pace and psychology.  

Rickie Fowler

I try to fix my eyes on a specific spot behind the ball, some people like to look at a dimple on the ball, I like to look at the grass behind the ball. That allows you to not let your eyes wander which makes the stroke a little bit more consistent. 

Hopefully these tips from PGA Tour pros can help transform your scorecard. Particularly for the amateur player, having a reliable putting technique can knock double figures off your handicap.

Good luck!