Ever blow a putt by the hole?

Yeah, we all have at some point, right? If you miss the follow-up putt, you’ve added a stroke to your scores.

Missing putts like this could be because of your backstroke. It’s either too long or too short. What you need to do is to build a backstroke that adapts to any distance and helps you make those easy putts. The golf drill below helps you do that.

Golf Drill

• Take three balls to the practice green. Find a straight four-footer. As you putt the balls, see how short you can make your backstroke while generating enough power to hit the back of the cup. Keep your stroke smooth.
• If you have to “hit” the ball to get it to the hole, you need to make a slightly longer backstroke. But don’t make it any longer than necessary. You want to find the shortest backstroke that lets you make the putt without having to “muscle” the ball.
• Once you find your “best” backstroke, move back to 7 feet, then 10 feet.  Roll these putts with a feel similar to the one you used on the four-footers. Of course, you’ll have to make a slightly longer backstroke, but maybe not as long as you thought.

Keep in mind the stroke length you need to make the different putts. Then practice them each time you go to the putting green.

Finding your best putting stroke is the secret to not come up short on long putts. That will shave off those extra strokes and help your handicap over time.