Golf Putting Instructions and Putting Tips

Putting consumes upwards of 50 percent of the strokes in a round of golf. That is half of your golf score.

Putting consumes upwards of 50 percent of the strokes in a round of golf. That is half of the score, which suggests that putting should command at least half the attention in practicing and preparing to play. Billy Mayfair became an excellent putter, and the U.S. Amateur Champion, by devoting two hours of practice to putting for every one hour he spent on the the driving range. Interestingly, he later found himself to be only an average putter on the pro tour, a situation he remedied with even greater dedication to putting practice.

Putting Grip

The putting grip is to stabilize the left wrist so that it does not bend toward the hole during the follow through of the stroke.

The putter may be gripped in various ways, most of which are attempts to stabilize the left wrist so that it does not bend toward the hole during the follow through of the stroke. One common alternative for the putting grip is to reverse the overlap of the Vordon grip, so that the forefinger of the left hand is covering the little finger of the right hand.

Golf Putting Tips. Reverse-overlap grip. With the golfer holding the club up so that the underside of the grip can be seen, notice how the forefinger of the left hand covers the little finger of the right hand.

Golf Putting Tips. Correct and incorrect putter follow through. The correct procedure shows the golfer stroking the ball to his left with a firm, straight formation of the left arm, wrist, and club-shaft. In contrast, the incorrect procedure shows the golfer's left wrist breaking down and allowing the the right wrist to "flip" the putter-head down the target line.