Most golfers who struggle with putting fall into the trap of trying to be perfect — almost robotic. That instinct makes sense. When we’re working to master a finesse motion, it’s natural to want as few moving parts as possible.
We’ve all seen putting researchers demonstrate strokes with robots, and the putting industry now offers remarkable technology to measure everything from face angle to ball roll. Yet despite all of this innovation, overall putting performance hasn’t improved nearly as much as you’d expect.
Why?
The answer is simple: with all the data and measurement available, golfers have become less athletic and less fluid. Too many putters are focused on controlling every position in their stroke instead of trusting athletic motion. The solution is to embrace fluidity — to develop trust, confidence and a more athletic approach to putting.
For this, I like to borrow some traits from the hardwood.
How basketball can help your putting
Growing up, and into my college years, I played a lot of organized and pickup basketball. Now, working at Duke University, I’m fortunate to be around one of the most successful college basketball programs in history. After countless hours shooting basketballs and rolling putts, I’ve noticed clear similarities between the two skills. At the center of both is targeting.
Once you establish your target and understand the distance, you’re free to simply shoot the basketball — or roll the putt.
When rolling a putt — and shooting a free throw — you should go through this checklist:
- Establish a target. It could be something just in front of your ball that you want it to roll over, or something in the intermediate range. The important thing is that you’ve got something to aim at.
- Be fluid during your pre-putt routine. Much like a free-throw routine that basketball players go through, your putting routine should have the same flow, timing and rhythm every time. After you establish your target, step into the putt with the same consistent rhythm. Set the putter behind the ball, align the face, then set your body. Use your eyes to confirm the target.
- Let it go and trust your stroke. Don’t stand over the ball and overthink. Simply act like an athlete and trust your instincts.
After you strike the ball, your work is not done yet. Instead of just watching the ball, walking up and marking it (or grabbing it out of the hole), ask yourself three questions:
- Did I read the green correctly?
- Did I start the ball on my intended line?
- Did I hit the putt with the proper speed?
When you shift your focus away from mechanics and to targets and feedback instead, putting becomes more natural. Do this and I think you’ll find that you become putter.
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