This putting misconception is the reason your flat stick lacks consistency

Welcome to Shaving Strokes, a GOLF.com series in which we’re sharing improvements, learnings and takeaways from amateur golfers just like you — including some of the speed bumps and challenges they faced along the way.

When it comes to shaving strokes off your score, what’s the quickest way to do so? If you think it’s bombing it off the tee and gaining yardage with the driver, you’d be sorely mistaken. That’s because improved putting is the fastest way to lowering scores.

Think about it, if all else is equal between you and your playing partners — with each hitting it 275 yards and having decent iron shots and above-average wedge play — the player who putts the best will win.

Unlike the full-swing, making adjustments to your putting can be adopted quickly and effectively.

Instead of going for more swing speed or working on your angle of attack with irons or wedges, which can take months to achieve, golfers of all skill levels can play around with different putter types, grips, and setups and see success after a few hours on the practice green.

But in order to see the success you want to on the greens, it means understanding the most important parts of putting.

In the video below, Scott Curry — a putting coach and green-reading specialist with over 20 years of experience working in the golf industry — squashes a misconception about putting.

According to Curry, too many players worry about only putting stroke and not all of the elements. So take a look to see what he says you must really focus on in order to become a sniper with the flat stick.

The 4 most critical parts of putting, per Curry

While becoming a better putter is easier than redoing your entire full-swing, it still requires different parts to see success. And, according to Curry, most players (and short game teachers) only prioritize the putting stroke, and ignore other key elements.

“One of the biggest misconceptions about putting instruction is that the most important part is the putting stroke,” Curry says. “I would say that the putting stroke is actually only about 25 percent of all of putting.

Curry then lists three other key components that every player must master to improve their putting ability.

“Aim, right? That has to be number one. It has to be the most important part,” he adds. “You think about distance control, that has to be super important. You think about green-reading [as well]; those three are at least equally as important as the putting stroke.”

Curry suggests that if you’re only working on your putting stroke in order to improve on the greens, you’ll be disappointed with the results — because it takes a player a better understanding of all four parts to get the proper results.

“You know, a lot of instructors out there right now are so focused on the putting stroke that they’re missing out on the reasons that golfers are actually missing putts,” he adds.

So the key to becoming a better putter is to dial in your putting stroke, learn how to aim properly, understand how to manage your distance, and then have the ability to read greens. By combining all of that together, your putter can become a stroke-saving weapon that other players can’t match.

Putting Stick Pro by TPK Golf ( GREEN, RED or BLUE )

$79.99

Note: There are two different models of the Putting Stick. The ‘PRO’ version has the eye alignment mirror built into the stick. This makes it more portable. The original has a base plate at the far end with angled mirror. 

The golf Putting Stick is a patented practice and training aid developed to help golfers of all levels improve their putting stroke. Made from the finest quality materials to exacting standards, this ingenious tool will transform both your game and attitude, forever.
 
The golf Putting Stick is 46 inches long, 1 inch wide, and 3/8 inches thick. It has an adjustable back-swing stop and a ball ramp for the effortless loading of a golf ball onto its surface. The golf Putting Stick will monitor and show you when your back-swing is too long, and it will show your stroke accuracy at impact to within better than one degree of perfect squareness.

 

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Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor