Short putt speed video

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Paul Foston explains the importance of short putt speed when it comes to holing out.

Short putt speed video
Paul Foston
By Paul Foston
last updated

Golf Monthly Top 25 coaches Andrew Jones and Paul Foston explain the importance of short putt speed when it comes to holing out.

In this short putt speed video, Andrew Jones offers some fascinating insight into how hard you should hit your short putts and he provides some simple drills to help you. We have also added the thoughts, below, of Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Paul Foston.

Short putt speed video

When you face a short putt you an important choice to make. Do you ram the ball hard into the back of the hole removing the break or do you dribble it in allowing for the slope?

I don’t like my pupils to have a one-size fits all approach here because, for me, this decision depends on a couple of key factors.

Short putting fault fixer

Firstly, how fast are the greens? Remember the faster the ball is running at the hole, the more likely it is to lip out so if the greens are really slick you need to treat them with care.

Secondly, how much break is there? If the putt is straight, a firm strike should help take out the effect of any imperfections on the green.

Likewise, if the break is subtle, hitting the ball hard and straight will remove any indecision. If in doubt, firm and straight!

If however, the putt breaks a lot, hit it gently and allow for the slope as you need to maximise the size of the hole in this scenario.

The firmer you hit the putt, the smaller you essentially make the hole. A deadweight putt has more chance of lipping in than a ball hit with enough speed to finish 4 feet past.

If there greens aren't rolling particularly true, such as in the Winter, hitting putts firmly will reduce the chance of the putt bobbling offline and missing.

In matchplay, if the putt is for a half then be positive and hit it firm. If the putt is to win the hole and the one coming back might matter, perhaps be a little more conservative with your speed on the first putt.

Read more putting tips

Try this!

If you are going to ram a short putts in, use the alignment mark on your ball to aim at the back of the hole. Being precise over your aim is critical and this quick tip will definitely help.

 

Paul Foston
Paul Foston
Top 50 Coach

Location: Paul Foston Golf Academy


Paul has worked with a number of Tour professionals over the years, and is proud to have successfully coached over 40,000 students. In 2005, he set out to design his own academy with a ‘world class’ coaching infrastructure of technical advancement and a tailor made short game layout to practice every real life challenge experienced on course.


Greatest success story:

Fulfilling the dreams of five international players - Paul Way, Mark Roe, Craig Parry, Jamie Spence and Peter Mitchell, taking them to European Tour victories and one to Ryder Cup success.

 

Teaching philosophy:

Golf is one of the most challenging sports to accomplish. To play well consistently requires you to invest time in lessons, practice and play in equal measure; this will give a solid foundation and enable you to develop skills across the whole spectrum of the game. Identifying an individual’s learning style is key to coaching and effective communication. My imaginative mind and use of analogy is a creative, easily understandable method to convey instruction and simplify technique.


Significant teaching influences:

I have amassed a great body of knowledge by researching the world’s best players and their unique ability to play golf at the highest level. I have also kept pace with technology and golf equipment advancements. These findings have given me a deep understanding of swing dynamics and techniques which have been incorporated into my classic coaching style.

 


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