What is Putting in Golf? (Basics you Must Learn)
Reading Time: 10 minutes 
You can stripe it down the fairway all day, hit greens in regulation, and still walk off with a double bogey because you couldn’t make a five-footer. I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit. That’s the brutal reality of golf, and it’s exactly why putting matters more than any other shot in the game.
Here’s something most beginners don’t realize: putting makes up roughly 40% of your total strokes in a round. Earl Woods knew this so well that he taught a young Tiger Woods the game of golf in reverse, starting on the green. That’s not a coincidence. Better putting equals lower scores. Full stop.
The Fundamentals of Putting
Think of it like the final play in any sport. In hockey, it’s shooting the puck. In soccer, it’s putting the ball in the net. In golf; it’s putting. Everything else gets you to the green. Putting is what decides the number you write down.
And unlike every other shot, putting demands finesse over force. There’s no room to muscle your way out of trouble here. It’s just you, the putter, and a surface full of variables you have to read and react to.
What is Putting in Golf?
Putting is what golfers do when they’re on the greenn the smooth, closely mown area of grass surrounding the hole. The goal is to roll the ball into the cup using a putter, a flat-faced club built specifically for that purpose. While you can technically use any club to putt, the putter’s design makes it the only one that rolls the ball cleanly across the surface without lifting it.
From 175 yards out, you’re aiming for a landing zone maybe 5–10 yards wide. Precision matters, but there’s room for error. On the green, that margin disappears entirely. A slight misread or a small push is the difference between making and missing. No other part of golf demands that level of exactness, and that’s what makes putting both the hardest and most important skill to develop.
The Different Putting Grip Styles
How you hold the putter matters more than most people think. Your grip controls wrist movement, face angle, and ultimately where the ball goes. There’s no single “correct” grip, even PGA Tour pros disagree. Here are the three most common ones:
Conventional Grip
The most common grip in golf. Your top hand leads, your bottom hand overlaps for support. If you already play with a standard golf grip, this will feel natural.
Cross-Handed (Left-Hand Low) Grip
Your lead hand goes lower on the grip, so for right-handed golfers, the left hand is below the right. Feels backwards at first, but it quiets the hands and improves alignment.
Claw Grip
Your lead hand grips normally, but your trail hand pinches the grip with the fingers — like holding a pencil. It minimizes wrist movement and is a popular fix for golfers battling inconsistency.
No grip is objectively better than another. Try them, see what gives you the most consistent face control, and commit to it.
Comparing the Styles
Each grip has a different vibe and purpose:
- Conventional is all about comfort and familiarity.
- Cross-Handed adds stability and promotes a more consistent stroke, especially for those with active wrists.
- The Claw is a great fix if you feel like your hands have a mind of their own.
No grip is “better” than the others. It’s all about what fits your stroke and your feel. If you’re missing left or right, struggling with distance control, or just not confident over short putts, trying a new grip could change everything.
At the end of the day, don’t be afraid to test them out. Even if something feels weird at first, give it time. Some of the best strokes are built on grips that once felt awkward. Putting is all about feel and the right grip just might unlock your best golf yet.
The Putting Stroke
The putting stroke refers to the way a golfer moves the putter at the ball while putting. Focusing mostly on club path. Here are the two most common types of putting strokes and often the best ways to accomplish accurate putting.
- The straight-back-straight-through stroke: A straight, linear stroke that focuses on keeping the putter on straight line back and through the ball.
- The arc stroke: A curved club path that focuses on hitting the ball at the top of a semi circle.
How to Improve Your Putting
The fastest way to improve your putting is through deliberate repetition, building the kind of muscle memory that holds up when you’re standing over a four-footer to save par. The drills below are designed to do exactly that.
Developing the Right Putting Routine
A consistent pre-putt routine can be a game-changer for golfers of all skill levels. It helps eliminate indecision, reduce nerves, and build the mental focus needed to roll each putt with confidence and clarity. Since putting in golf makes up nearly 40% of total strokes in a round, mastering your routine can directly translate into lower scores.
Your pre-putt routine doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be consistent. Here are three key elements to include:
- Align the putter properly: Before anything else, set your putter face squarely behind the ball and aimed along your intended line. This gives you a solid foundation and removes doubt when it’s time to stroke the putt.
- Visualize the ball’s path: As you stand behind the ball, take a few seconds to picture the ball rolling on your line and dropping into the hole. Visualization helps activate your feel and focus, especially under pressure.
- Take practice strokes with purpose: Two to three strokes while looking at the hole can help you feel the speed and distance. This builds rhythm and gives your body a physical reference for what you’re about to do.
Once you’ve completed those steps, step into your stance, take a deep breath, and go. This small but powerful routine centers your focus and keeps your process the same whether you’re putting for birdie or trying to save bogey. Repeating this on every hole builds confidence, eliminates doubt, and leads to more consistent results on the green.
Putting drills you can do at home
You don’t need a course to get better at putting. A mat, a few tees, and 20 minutes of focused practice will do more for your game than an hour of mindless putting on the practice green. Here are three drills I keep coming back to:
How to Read Golf Greens Like a Pro
Green reading is a skill that separates good putters from great ones. The ball doesn’t care how good your stroke is if you’ve aimed three inches wide. Here’s what to pay attention to:
Green reading techniques
- AimPoint method: Stand halfway between your ball and the hole. Feel which foot bears more weight, that tells you the slope. Assign a number (1–5) and use your fingers in front of your face to find your aim point. It sounds weird, but it works. A lot of Tour pros use it.
- Reading the grain: Look at the color of the grass. Shiny and light = you’re putting with the grain, it’ll run fast. Dark and dull = against the grain, it’ll slow down. You can also check the edge of the cup; ragged edges point in the direction the grain grows.
- Judging green speed: Wet greens are slow. Dry, firm greens are fast. Factor in conditions before every round. Fast greens punish aggressive putts. Slow greens require more force, and more break than you think.
Green reading gets better with experience. The more intentional you are about watching how the ball reacts after every putt, the faster you’ll develop feel for it.
Choosing the Right Putter for Your Game
A player not feeling confident with their putter can lead to frequent mishits. Fortunately, the market offers a wide variety of putters in different lengths, styles, and designs to suit individual preferences.
Among the many options, putters are typically categorized into two main head types: mallet and blade.
On the right is the mallet putter, known for its larger, wider clubhead. This design distributes weight toward the extremities of the head, promoting a more forgiving stroke particularly helpful on off-center hits.
On the left is the blade putter, often considered the traditional or original putter design. It resembles the putters commonly found at mini-golf courses and is usually the first style that comes to mind. Blade putters concentrate weight more toward the front, providing enhanced feel and feedback. However, they offer less forgiveness on off-center strikes compared to mallets.
Beyond head shape, other features can be tailored to a player’s preference. Putter weight varies. Heavier putters enable shorter, more controlled strokes to generate speed, while lighter putters require longer strokes. Weight distribution also plays a role, with some putters emphasizing weight toward the front, the back, or evenly throughout the head.
Visual preference is another key factor. Some players favor a slim, minimalist look, while others prefer the stability of a larger head. Many putters also include alignment aids to help golfers visually square up their stroke and aim more effectively.
Listen to TrottieGolf break down the basics of Mallet versus Blade putters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Putting in golf isn’t just a part of golf, it is golf. It’s the final act on every hole, and more often than not, it’s what decides your score. From Earl Woods teaching a young Tiger to start on the green, to the fine-tuned grip styles and stroke mechanics used by today’s top pros, it’s clear that mastering putting is essential for every golfer.
Whether you’re working on reading greens, dialing in your routine, or experimenting with new grip styles or putters, the path to better scores starts (and ends) on the green. So take your time, trust the process, and most importantly; practice. Your best golf is waiting, one putt at a time.
