Stop Pulling Your Putts

By September 29, 2017Tips & Tutorials
missing putts

If you have noticed you are missing putts, there could be several factors at play.  However, if you are consistently missing your putts to the left side of the hole if you are a right-handed player or the left side of the hole if you are a left-handed player, you are pulling your putts.

You may have read the green perfectly and judged the pace of the putt nicely yet you are regularly pulling your putt to the side of the hole.  It’s extremely frustrating but today we have some tips which will help you stop pulling your putts.

The first thing you must check if you are pulling your putts is posture.

Ask a friend to take a picture or video of you when you are about to make a putt.  Look at your body position and if you find you are hunched over the golf ball when putting, this is part of the problem and can lead to pulling your putts.

Not only that but it can lead to problems with your back, as it is not a good position for the body.

When slouching over a putt, your upper body is closer to the ball and this leads to the toe of the putter coming off the ground and pointing the face of the club to the left for right-handed players and right for left handed players.

Thankfully, it is very easy to correct your posture and stop pulling putts.

Get into your normal putting stance, as you have always been doing.  Hold your putter in your right hand or left hand depending on which you are and lift your arms and pull your shoulder blades together.

Now place your putter on the ground and add your remaining hand to the putter.  That’s all you need to do to correct your posture and stop pulling putts.

Other things to look out for if you are pulling your putts include how close you are standing to the ball.

If you are standing too close to the ball, this will force your arms to move away from your body on the back swing.  This will send the putter outside the target line and as you begin the down swing, it will continue on the same path and generate a pull shot.

If the ball is too far forward in your stance, by the time the club reaches the ball it will start to turn and the face will be closing on the ball.  The result is a pulled putt.

So, the set-up is key to avoid pulling your putts.  Ensure you are not too close to the ball on address and your back swing becomes hampered and do not put the ball too far forward in your stance.  Keep the ball slightly ahead of centre in your stance and your arms should hang down in a relaxed, neutral position.

If you are having trouble pulling your putts, try using these tips for better results.