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In the putting stroke, one of the most important factors, if not the most important, is the tempo of the stroke. Not just how the putter moves away from the address position but also how the transition of backstroke into forward stroke and beyond are controlled.

Keeping this smooth pendulum like motion is even more critical than the length of your backstroke as without a good tempo, you have no chance of controlling the distance your ball travels.

If you want to consistently control the distance of your putt then not only will you need to know how to control the length of your backstroke but also the tempo at which the whole putting stroke moves at. There are a number of ways to practise that will help you achieve a smooth, even tempo so lets take a look at a couple of them.

The Metronome

Practising your putting stroke to the even beat of a metronome is a great way to get a feel for how smooth you need to move your putter in both directions. Setting it to a beat of around 78 to 80 beats per minute is the best place to start. Listen to the tick-tock rhythm and try to get your putting stroke to match it back and forth.

The Coin Top Drill

To make sure that your stroke is moving at a nice, even tempo, especially during the transition from backstroke to forward stroke, the coin top drill gives you perfect and instant feedback. Place a coin on the top of your putter, right in the centre and as close to the face as you can without it hanging over the edge. Make a nice, smooth stroke both back and through, imagining the beat of the metronome and hit your putt. The object of the drill is to not let the coin slip off the top of your putter. If your stroke is moving at a nice, smooth, even tempo then you should be able to keep the coin in place very easily.

The speed at which you hit the ball with your putter face can be affected by the tempo of your stroke, but it is influenced more by where the ball impacts on the putter face. If you hit your ball in the centre of the face then it will have more speed than if you were to strike it in either the heel or toe end.

Although if you keep a constant even tempo it is easier to control the way the putter moves during your stroke, it will not keep the head moving straight back-straight through. This is due to the fact that golf is played from the side of the ball so your putter will naturally work on a slight arc unless you manipulate it during your stroke.

The tempo of your putting stroke is more important in effecting the overall result of your putt than any other aspect of the putting stroke. Without a smooth, even tempo, your ability to control where your golf ball ends up will be limited at best and you will certainly hit more putts in a round than you really need to.