Dave Stockton, who won the 1970 and 1976 PGA Championships, is regarded as one of the best putters of all time. He recently talked through some of his keys for golfers looking to improve their green-reading skills. It’s the kind of bedrock quality that will help you become a better putter, so let’s dive in.

1. Take in your surroundings
The first step of your green reading starts as you’re walking up towards the green. Take in your surroundings, Stockton says, and get an idea of the undulations within the green.
“You’ll feel it with your feet, what the green is doing,” Stockton says. “There’s something to be said for walking up, thinking of where the water is going to drain, the slopes … you’re learning things.
But specifically, start hunting for the lowest point around the hole, he says. It’s going to come in handy for what’s next…

2. Read the putt from the low side
When you first get to the green and are trying to figure out which direction your golf ball is going to move, Stockton says to start by standing in the lowest point of the hole. Stockton explains that it’s from this vantage point you’ll be able to see the more intricate details of the putt you’re about to roll.
“I will always start at the low side of the putt, never on the high side,” he says. “It’s like reading a book. You don’t tilt the book away from you, you tilt it towards you.
“Standing on the low side will give you an entire good look at the entire break of the putt.”

Tony Roberts

3. Divide the putt into thirds
Now that you’ve taken-in your larger surroundings and sized-up the putt from the low side of the hole, take a look at your putt from behind the ball. Then, divide it into three different parts.
“I break every putt into thirds,” Stockton says, pointing at a six-foot putt. “For this putt, that means three two foot putts.”
After you do that, read each section of the putt like it was its own putt. So, the first section may break an inch from right-to-left, while the second section may be straight, before the third section breaks three more inches from right-to-left.
By breaking the putt into its component parts, Stockton explains, you’ll be able to focus specifically on each area of the putt. It’ll simplify things, and yet you’ll still walk away with a more detailed read.

4. Find the ‘new’ centre of the hole
Now that you’ve got a good handle on how your putt is going to break, before you fully settle into it, Stockton recommends standing behind the hole, directly in line with your ball.
Your goal for doing this, Stockton says, is to find the new centre of the hole. If your putt is going to break from right-to-left, the centre of the hole is going to be more on the right side of the hole.
“I’m trying to pick a spot where the ball is going to enter the hole,” he says.
Stockton suggests practising this by placing a tee in the new centre of the hole, and one about a foot past the hole, in line with the first tee. The will help you conceptualise how the putt is going to travel before, during, and after the hole.
“This is where I want the ball to enter the hole, and I don’t want the ball to roll past [the second tee] if it doesn’t,” he finishes.

5. Focus one inch in front of your ball
Now that you understand the green, the putt itself, and how it’s going to arc into the hole, it’s time to step into your putt. Stockton says to stand directly behind your ball and walk into your putt looking at a spot once inch in front of your golf ball.
“We’re trying to create a process where we don’t get many red lights,” he says. “I’m locked in.”
It’ll focus your mind, but also, will give you feedback about whether you hit the putt on the line you intended to or not. If your ball rolls directly over that spot on the line you’ve picked, that’s all that matters. It may not end up in the hole, but you can take solace that you’ve given it your best chance.

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Here’s a drill where you can work on three aspects of putting at once: 1. Visualising and choosing the line of the putt; 2. Accurately starting the ball on the selected line; 3. Controlling the pace of the putt

As you’ll see I have a putt with a substantial break. Having surveyed the slope from behind the ball and then at the hole, I’ve selected my start line or aim point. I’ve marked this point with a tee level with the hole. Having selected the line, approximately three feet in front of my ball I’ve placed two clubs flat on the green. These act as barriers to putts that start offline; the gap between them is only a centimetre or so wider than a golf ball.

If I make a good stroke without pushing or pulling the putt, the ball will go through the gap and I will know the ball started on my desired line. Many amateurs select the correct line but immediately pull or push their ball so this helps with your stroke.

You’ll also notice that I’ve placed an aiming stick three feet behind the hole. If the ball runs past the hole, it should stop before the stick. If I control the speed and the ball is missing on the high side of the hole, I have over-estimated the break. If I miss on the low side, the more common fault with amateurs, I’ve underestimated the break.

By using this set-up, you can improve many aspects of your putting in a single practice session. – With Kent Gray.

Mike Kinloch is Head Professional at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s Peter Cowen Academy Dubai. For more information, visit dubaigolf.com

The post VIDEO: Here’s a three-in-one drill to start sinking those breaking putts appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Brendan O’Leary
Go on, admit it. You’re desperate to score well but instead of practising the “scoring shots”, you rush to the range and immediately reach for the driver? Who doesn’t love nailing the big stick, right? Sure, but it’s the wrong way to lower scores when you consider stats show that the average amateur will use the driver 13 to 14 times a round – and their putter somewhere between 35 and 40 times. So, let’s head to the practice green and start focusing on one of the most overlooked parts of the game.

The key to becoming a good putter is nailing the basics right from the start of your setup. By sorting your posture, alignment and ball position you’ll give yourself the best chance of achieving a consistent strike.

A lot of players will stand in a taller posture with flat shoulders, causing the putter to travel on a severe arc which ultimately leads to inconsistency at impact due to a lot of toe and heel strikes. In addition, poor putters often don’t get their eye-line directly above the ball at address (see picture 4 in the set-up sequence above right for the correct reference) which is a recipe for consistent miss reads. Follow the techniques illustrated here and you’ll be on your way to sinking more putts and lowering your handicap. Remember, that 300-yard drive has the same value as a three-foot putt but just missing the fairway isn’t half as frustrating as just missing a short putt. – With Kent Gray.

Brendan O’Leary is a PGA Teaching Professional at The Academy by Troon at The Address Montgomerie Dubai. For help with your game, email academyreception@themontgomerie.ae, call +971 4 363 1209 or visit www.themontgomerie.com

The post VIDEO: Sort your posture, alignment and ball position to start holing more putts appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.