As a beginner to the game of golf, the easiest skill to improve first is your putting. Putting is also the most important aspect of your golf game in terms of lowering your golf scores. Without putting the ball into the hole, you have no golf score.
In this guide we are going to share with you the best golf putting tips for beginners so you can master the following:
- How to grip a putter
- How to swing a putter
- Controlling the putter face to hit straight
- Perfecting the putt speed
- Reading breaks and movements of the green
- Putting with the right equipment and golf ball
At the end, you can learn more about our step by step golf practice plans to follow to quickly improve your scores by following the drills laid out for you in the program.
Best Putting Tips to Follow as a Beginner
#1: Practice Your Putting Stroke First Before Buying a New Putter
One of the first mistakes beginners make is spending lots of money buying a new putter. What happens if you picked out the wrong putter that doesn’t go well with your putting stroke style?
Instead, start off learning the putting stroke. There are two types of putting strokes; (1) the arc stroke and (2) the straight back straight through stroke.
Arcing Putting Stroke – when you take the putter back it’s path curves creating an arc or “rainbow” path when you complete the backward and forward putting motion.
Straight Back Straight Forward Putting Stroke – just like the name sounds, the putter path stays straight the entire time with no curving or arcing.
Learn which style of putting you feel most comfortable with. Then go select a new putter that is built and designed for that style of putting.
#2: Face Balanced vs Toe Weighted Putters
To go along with putting tip #1, we want to pick out the correct putter next. Having the right equipment is important in golf to helping you achieve your highest potential.
Toe Weighted Putters – these putters are created with a weight in the toe of the putter head, moving the center of gravity so that the putter can swing with a wider degree of arc.
Face Balanced Putters – the center of gravity keeps the putter from opening and closing (twisting) as much since the weight is evenly distributed throughout the putter head.
If you have an arc style putting motion, you’ll benefit most from a toe weighted putter which is built to help close the putter face at impact so that it comes back to a square position at contact with the golf ball.
The face balanced putter is best for beginners and golfers trying to keep the putter straight which as a result hits the ball straight on the intended line.
Tip #3: Choose the Right Putter Height
Another great tips for beginners is to pick out a putter length that meets your posture’s needs. Practice setting up to a putt and learn your posture tendency.
Do you notice yourself standing taller? Or are you hunched over more?
If you are overly tall or overly hunched over, you can try to adjust your posture to a more neutral stance but it may work just as well to find a putter length that fits your posture best.
Most putter heights range from 30 inches to 38 inches with the average putter height falling around 34 inches.
Tip #4: Use Your Putter as a Measuring Device for Putting Drills
Once you’ve figured out your putting stroke tendency and picked out a new putter to practice with, it’s time to get to work perfecting the putting stroke.
One of the best ways to improve at putting is performing golf drills designed for putting. Many of these drills will specify how far away you need to be from the hole.
While it makes sense to bring a tape measure with you in your bag, you are just as well off using your putter as a measuring device since we know it’s length falls around 3ft.
If a drill calls for setting markers / tees up at 3 ft, 6 ft, and 9 ft, simply lay your putter down on the ground and estimate where to put the marker. Then move it back one putter length and repeat.
Tip #5: Use the Putter’s Alignment Markings / Paint
There are many putters for sale today that have been designed with paint schemes or line markings on the top of the putter crown so that you can use them as an alignment assistant when setting up for a putt.
For example, you can make sure the ball is centered in the middle of the putter face. You can also look at the hole and look back down at the line on the putter and make sure your aim is on point.
Tip #6: Perfect Your Grip
As a beginner, it will take some time to learn how to grip a putter. The grip needs to be firm but not too aggressive where you are squeezing the club to hard.
There are variations of gripping a putter:
- Overlap grip
- Reverse overlap grip
- Baseball grip
- Palm to palm grip
- Cross handed grip
- Spread apart grip
- And more
There isn’t really a one correct grip every golfer needs to use. Instead, try these different styles of gripping a putter and see which feels most natural and comfortable to you. Then practice it a ton so you can grip the club the same every time with muscle memory.
The goal is to have a grip that helps keep the putter on path and the face straight at impact so the golf ball starts on the correct line to the hole.
If you find yourself hitting putts left and right, it could be the putter face is open / closed as a result of a poor grip!
Tip #7: Feet Shoulder Width Apart
Your putting stance should be a stable, solid stance that allows you control throughout the putting stroke. Your body should remain very still as the putting stroke is mainly about rocking the shoulders and arms to move the putter back and forth.
Start by taking a stance with your feet about shoulder width apart. See if this feels comfortable. You can widen the stance further if you need more stability.
Tip #8: Practice Strokes
Never hit a putt without first taking a moment for a practice swing or two. These practice strokes are key to helping you feel the tempo and rhythm needed to hit the putt with the correct speed to get to the hole.
Take a few practice strokes then set up to the ball and make the same stroke that felt right during your practice stroke. Keep that feeling as you set up and repeat it.
You’ll find that practice strokes can help soften your nerves and take away pressure. It adds back some confidence when you are getting ready to make a pressure putt.
Tip #9: Practice Speed Control Often
Speed control will cost you or save you several points to your score so take it seriously.
You should roll putts with proper speed so that is has enough to pass by the hole but not too much where you leave yourself far from the hole on missed putts.
Hitting putts too soft will lead to coming up short and never giving yourself a chance to make the putt.
Always give enough juice to the putt to send it at least 6 to 12 inches past the hole so that if it does miss the cup, it doesn’t keep going 3, 4, 5 feet beyond.
Tip #10: High Repetition Practice
As a beginner, you should be practicing your putting often. We recommend at least 100 repetitions of putts per practice session.
Go above and beyond to improve quicker by practicing 300-500 reps during practice. This same concept is seen in other sports like basketball players who shoot 500 jump shots before ending practice.
High repetition is the best way to improve your skills and golf score quickly.
We created a high repetition practice plan that covers driving range, chipping, and putting so you can drop 5-10 strokes off your score in just several weeks of following the plan.