Pre-Putt Routine Can Aid Consistency (Video) - Lesson by PGA Pro Pete Styles
Pre-Putt Routine Can Aid Consistency (Video) - Lesson by PGA Pro Pete Styles

Now like you might have developed a pre-shot routine in your full swing. You also need to develop a pre-putt routine for your putting game. Now the point of it being a routine is it should be the same thing every single time and ideally you shouldn’t really have too much to think about, it should be quite natural, but for it to become natural you have to practice over and over again, really drilling in with good consistency. The important thing is use your pre-putt routine when you are practicing as well as when you are playing. So on the practice green work on taking a bit more time over each putt more care over each putt so the next you get it right.

First point on the pre-putt routine is to read the green correctly, so you often see people getting down nice and low and looking at the putt from this angle but I also like to have a little scope around, if I have got the time to do it, I would like to walk to the far end of my putt and have a little look back. So I always take the opportunity to go and take the flag out for everybody. People must be think I have got the best etiquette on the golf course because I am always encouraging hey I will go and get the flag, don’t worry about that, leave the flag I will go and get but really it’s because I want to have a good look from the other end and look back at my putt. So if you can give it a big 360 we will go all the way around the putt, have a good look for the lie of the land, see the way it’s going to break.

Then when you get to your ball, if you like you can line the line upon your putts through the makers name, you can line up in the direction you want to hit the balls, you got everything nicely lined up towards the way you want to start the ball, not necessarily at the hole but towards the breaking point where you think the putt will curve from, then you can have a look and make sure you have got that right and I am happy with that. Can I walk into the side, have a couple of little practice strokes here, maybe another look at the hole just to get a feel for how hard I am going to hit the putt. When I am happy, I setup, one last little look back down and go ahead and strike the putt. What you will appreciate with that is it’s quite rhythmical, there is nothing that’s too fast, there is nothing that’s too slow, everything just happens at even tempo and even pace.

The important thing about your pre-putt routine is you would keep that tempo that rhythm that pace be it on the practice green, on the first hole, or even on the 18th hole, it’s a same rhythm, same routine every time, that allows me to complete the same skill every single time without getting too quick or too jumpy or jerky, you don’t have to do exactly as I have just done it, but use that as a base model and if you want to have, one practice putt or three practice putts that’s up to yourself, but always go through the same routine each time, try and develop so it’s individual to you and it’s your own but keep the rhythm, keep the timing and then do at the same whether it’s practice, the first green or the 18th green and a good pre-putt routine will help you hit better putt.

 2012-07-12

Now like you might have developed a pre-shot routine in your full swing. You also need to develop a pre-putt routine for your putting game. Now the point of it being a routine is it should be the same thing every single time and ideally you shouldn’t really have too much to think about, it should be quite natural, but for it to become natural you have to practice over and over again, really drilling in with good consistency. The important thing is use your pre-putt routine when you are practicing as well as when you are playing. So on the practice green work on taking a bit more time over each putt more care over each putt so the next you get it right.

First point on the pre-putt routine is to read the green correctly, so you often see people getting down nice and low and looking at the putt from this angle but I also like to have a little scope around, if I have got the time to do it, I would like to walk to the far end of my putt and have a little look back. So I always take the opportunity to go and take the flag out for everybody. People must be think I have got the best etiquette on the golf course because I am always encouraging hey I will go and get the flag, don’t worry about that, leave the flag I will go and get but really it’s because I want to have a good look from the other end and look back at my putt. So if you can give it a big 360 we will go all the way around the putt, have a good look for the lie of the land, see the way it’s going to break.

Then when you get to your ball, if you like you can line the line upon your putts through the makers name, you can line up in the direction you want to hit the balls, you got everything nicely lined up towards the way you want to start the ball, not necessarily at the hole but towards the breaking point where you think the putt will curve from, then you can have a look and make sure you have got that right and I am happy with that. Can I walk into the side, have a couple of little practice strokes here, maybe another look at the hole just to get a feel for how hard I am going to hit the putt. When I am happy, I setup, one last little look back down and go ahead and strike the putt. What you will appreciate with that is it’s quite rhythmical, there is nothing that’s too fast, there is nothing that’s too slow, everything just happens at even tempo and even pace.

The important thing about your pre-putt routine is you would keep that tempo that rhythm that pace be it on the practice green, on the first hole, or even on the 18th hole, it’s a same rhythm, same routine every time, that allows me to complete the same skill every single time without getting too quick or too jumpy or jerky, you don’t have to do exactly as I have just done it, but use that as a base model and if you want to have, one practice putt or three practice putts that’s up to yourself, but always go through the same routine each time, try and develop so it’s individual to you and it’s your own but keep the rhythm, keep the timing and then do at the same whether it’s practice, the first green or the 18th green and a good pre-putt routine will help you hit better putt.