Hear Your Putts Go In

on September 3, 2013

Introduction

Is there a better sound in golf than hearing the ball go into the cup? Of course not, because getting the ball in the cup is the object of the game! If you want to hear that sound more, try this simple putting tip.

This tip is for you if:

You have trouble with distance control on the greens

You pull your short putts left

You regularly mishit your putts

“Mishit a Putt?”

“Mishits a putt? Who mishits a putt?” I know that’s what a lot of you may be thinking, but all golfers mishit putts and, on the green where fractions of an inch can be the difference between breaking par and breaking your putter, mishitting a putt by even the smallest amount matters. When you miss the sweet spot, you compromise your ability to control the speed of the putt AND the direction. That’s why this tip is so important.

The Tip

Don’t watch your ball to go in the cup…hear it go in. After you hit the putt, keep your eyes focused on the ground where the ball was, and don’t move your body.

Why It’s Important

When you pull your head up during the stroke, you make it very difficult to make solid contact. You’re raising your entire body and forcing your arms to compensate by reaching out to the ball.

Additionally, turning to look at the hole tends to make golfers close their putter face, making the ball roll left of target.

Drill #1

Work on listening for the ball to go in while hitting 3 or 4 foot putts. Not only will this ingrain the good habit of not “peeking” at the ball, it will also build confidence as you roll in putt after putt.

Drill #2

Work on keeping your head down while lag putting. Set up at least 30 feet from the cup and hit a ball towards it. Slowly count “One one thousand, two one thousand” before looking to see where the ball finished. You’ll immediately notice the improvement in contact on these longer putts, and before long, three putts will be a thing of the past.

BONUS: Before looking up, guess if the putt was long or short of the hole, and by how much. This will build your awareness of how hard you need to hit long putts.

I hope this tip helps you make more putts and shoot lower scores. If you have any questions, please post them down below and I’ll be happy to answer them.

Author
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Matt Saternus

Editor In Chief at Plugged In Golf

Matt has worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking.

He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.

Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.

3 Comments

Mike Slowik
September 3, 2013 at 4:39 pm · Reply

I tend to miss hit with the best of them. I have used these tips in the past and they work. It’s just remembering to go back to them when needed. Thanks for the tips!!
- Matt Saternus
  September 4, 2013 at 7:11 am · Reply
  
  Thanks, Mike. Definitely not a complicated tip, but, as you said, something we all forget to do from time to time.
  
  Best,
  
  Matt
Paul
November 17, 2016 at 5:07 am · Reply

I agree with all of the above, good stuff Matt. A tip I have been using is to look at the hole maybe 5/10 seconds longer than you usually would… then keep your head down and listen for the ball to fall. I also don’t use a line to line up the putts as I think this creates less imagination, but I know a lot of players love to use line up markings.

Good stuff here Matt many thanks