Whether you recently started taking golf lessons or are an avid golfer, you can improve your game by fine-tuning your putting skills. There are many ways to improve this essential technique and reduce your handicap. Below are tips to help you get started. 

How to Improve Your Putting Skills

1. Change Your Assessment Position 

Reading the green correctly depends on your position. If the putt is uphill, look at it from behind the ball. If the putt is downhill, get behind the hole to make a correct assessment. Keeping the green in front of your face allows you to judge putting distance and speed correctly. On the other hand, reading from a high perspective makes the ground seem like it’s moving away from you, causing the distance between the ball and hole to appear excessively long. 

2. Move Your Shoulders Exclusively When Putting

Moving the entire body during putting is a common mishap that can put too much speed on the ball. Try to only move your shoulders while keeping your feet about 1 foot apart and bending your knees slightly. 

Since you aren’t swinging the golf club when you putt, there is no reason to move your hips or engage in deeper knee bends. More precise movements will help you roll rather than hit the ball. Hitting the ball when putting often causes it to bounce and miss the hole. 

3. Adjust Your Putting Stroke Length

The length of your putting stroke naturally depends on how far away you are from your target. If you are relatively far from the hole, a longer stroke is necessary compared to a short shot. 

No matter how much length you need, maintain an even stroke distance instead of one that is longer in the front and shorter in the back. An uneven stroke increases your chance of missing because you don’t have as much command over the ball. 

4. Practice Frequently With Different Shots 

To get more from your golf lessons, practice putting on a wide variety of terrain, in addition to straight shots on the green. Challenge yourself every time you play, such as putting out of a fairway bunker one day and in thicker grass the next. Any other uneven terrain also helps enhance your putting skills and avoid penalties during games. 

Perfect your golf game at The Village Course at Waikoloa, the second-oldest course of its kind on Hawaii’s Big Island. Designed by famous architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., this course offers golf lessons, club rentals, and tee times for residents and tourists alike. You’ll enjoy views of the Kohala Coast and nearby volcanoes, in addition to unique and varied terrain. Call (808) 883-9621 today to book a time or learn more about golf lessons online.