Speed control is everything in putting.
Before every round, you should give yourself a few minutes to practice putting and get a feel for the speed of the greens that day. All courses have different green speeds and, even at your home course, the speed could change on any given day.
What is your putting personality? Are you the type that is afraid of hitting the ball too far past the hole? Or are you the type that is not sure how hard to hit it and afraid you will leave the putt short of the hole?
If you’re either type, you’re telling yourself what not to do instead of focusing on what you want to do. Try to establish a feel and hit a solid putt that leaves a distance with a decent chance of making the next one.
If you’re afraid of hitting it short, you likely have a shorter backswing and — right before impact — you add a blast of acceleration through impact, sending the ball speeding right past the hole. Focus on lengthening your backswing, evening the pace of your clubhead speed both back and through the ball, and making sure you get to impact with no extra hand and wrist action.
An extra flip of the wrists at the end of your stroke makes it impossible to judge the right speed. Deliver your lead wrist flat to the ball at impact to ensure a solid putt and better speed control.
If you’re afraid of hitting it long, you likely take too long of a backswing and then slow the club head down before it reaches the ball to ensure you don’t blast it by the hole. It’s a classic deceleration move that says you’re being too cautious. You need to control the pace and shorten the length of the backswing to set up the ability to accelerate the club through impact. Think low and slow.
A good way to practice speed control is to pick a length of putt and practice those putts to the edge of the practice green, trying to get the ball to stop just short of, or just on, the fringe. Practicing without a hole as a target will allow you to focus on only speed without the pressure of accuracy. Then practice these putts in both directions so account for varying slopes.
While you are on the golf course, as your playing partners putt, walk the length of your putt to the hole so you get to see the distance and varying slopes your ball will face. Just looking at the line from behind the ball to the pin sometimes won’t cut it with the longer ones. You’ll need to walk it and see it to believe it.
Controlling your speed putting can be tricky and will take some practice. If you tend to hit it long, lengthen your backswing and better match the pace of your stroke back and through. If you leave your putts short, shorten your backswing and add a touch more acceleration on your follow-through.
If you know your putting personality, you will lower your scores quicker with better speed.
Peter Harris is the director of Golf at the Fore-U Golf Center in West Lebanon. His column appears in the weekly Recreation page during the golf season.