Putting Stroke
The putting stroke is the controlled pendulum motion that rolls the ball along the intended line. Good mechanics include a square face at impact, consistent tempo, and path that matches the putter's arc.
There are two dominant stroke types: straight-back-straight-through (SBST) favored with face-balanced putters, and arc-based (inside-square-inside) suited to toe-weighted putters. The key output is that the face is square to the intended start line at impact — the face controls nearly 90% of the ball's start direction in putting, just as in the full swing. Tempo consistency (usually a 2:1 backswing-to-forward-stroke ratio) is the other key variable.
Example
A player uses a slight arc putting stroke that matches their mallet putter's natural arc, keeping the face square throughout — the result is consistently on-line starts.
Related terms
- PuttingPutting is rolling the ball along the ground toward the hole using a flat-faced club (putter). It accounts for roughly 40% of strokes in a typical round, making it the most impactful single skill in scoring.
- Green ReadingGreen reading is assessing the slope, grain, and speed of a putting surface to predict how much and which way the ball will curve from its starting line to the hole.
- YipsThe yips are involuntary twitches or spasms — most often in putting or chipping — that disrupt the stroke. They are part neurological, part anxiety-driven, and affect golfers at every level.
Related guides & benchmarks
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