Downhill Putts and Speed

On downhill putts aim for an imaginary hole just short of the real hole. You want the golf ball to crawl down the hill and die in the cup. The ball will generally break more on a downhill putt as the ball is moving slowly, and will move with the slope of green, so always play more break than you think.

Before I let you in on a couple tricks to get the speed right, none will include changing the “mechanics” of the left-hand (front) dominant putting stroke that we have discussed.

Most putters have a sweet spot where the most weight is concentrated, and this is where the golf ball goes the farthest. The toe of the club usually has the least amount of weight, so by striking a fast downhill putt with the toe will take some steam out of the putt.

The long putt will have a little more pace and length to your swing, while the short-putt will be the opposite. So, on a fast down-hill putt, slow your motion while keeping the integrity of the “mechanics” in place.

If your speedy down-hill putt has some left or right break, play more break than you think. Keep in mind, your ball is sitting on a slope, if you putt it with a feathery strike and barley get it started, your ball will react to the slope right off the putter face, so give it more than you think and trickle it in the hole.