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Getting your putts to roll as early as possible after impact is something that golfers of all levels are looking for. This can be difficult to constantly achieve, mainly due to poor fundamentals or putter face impact.

Finding the best place to position the ball within your stance is the vital fundamental to creating the consistency you need.

To find the best ball position, you must find the lowest point of your putting stroke. You will find the low point of your stroke in line with your sternum, so as you look down on the ball at address it will be in the central point of your stance. This means that you must position your ball one to two inches forward of the centre.

It is with your ball in this position that you have the best possible chance of striking the ball in a very slight upward arc as your putter passes through the low point. Striking the ball this way will see your ball start to roll very quickly on top of the grass with minimal top spin and roll as true as possible on your intended line.

To practise this you need to place an alignment stick or a shaft on the ground and place your feet either side and almost touching it. Then you must move both feet the same distance apart so the stick is in the centre of your stance. Place your ball one to two inches forward of the stick. You will now have your ball in the best possible position for you to strike the ball slightly on the up and create a very smooth roll.

Hitting the ball on a downward angle of attack with your putter will see the club face impact with less or even negative loft. This will see your ball roll less constantly and be at greater risk of being deflected off line as the ball will bounce up very early due to it being hit down and into the ground.

Positioning your ball too far forward of the low point will create a couple of extra problems. You can not only hit the ball with too much loft creating back spin but you could also strike the ball on or above the equator. This will make it more difficult for you to control the speed of your putts.

The loft on your putter has a huge impact on how your putts roll. If your putter has too much loft then your ball will be lifted up off the grass and start spinning backwards, just like your full swing and short game shots would. Likewise, if your putter has too little loft, your ball will start to over spin too much causing the ball to bounce early in its roll.