How to Fix a Faulty Putting Stroke

You just shot 10 strokes above your index. To make matters worse, you hit the ball solidly from tee to green all afternoon — you just couldn’t get the ball into the hole.

The Solution

Find a flat section of the green and build the putting station pictured here. Run a static line (use any type of string tied to two golf tees) 10 feet from your ball to the opposite side of the cup. Set the string high enough for your putter to swing under. Next, stick two tees in the green six inches in front of the ball about two ball-widths apart. Position the ball directly underneath the static line and start rolling putts. The station positions you in the ideal address arrangement every time, and gives you instant feedback if you’re pushing or pulling putts from the start.

FIX YOUR EYE LINE Use the string to check that your eyes are over the golf ball. The line should look like it’s slicing the ball in half. This is a setup must.

FIX YOUR BODY AIM Set your feet perpendicular to the string. This helps you feel what it’s like to correctly aim your body parallel left of your target.

FIX YOUR FACE AIM Set your putter face perpendicular to the string. This helps you feel what it’s like to correctly aim your clubface directly at the target.

FIX YOUR PATH Make sure your putter swings slightly inside the string on your backstroke, and then slightly inside the string again on your through-stroke. At impact, your putter should move directly underneath the string.

FIX YOUR IMPACT Try to roll the ball between the two tees on its way to the cup. If you miss from this close, you know something’s wrong with your face position (at address or impact) or your path, and not due to any slope or grain in the green.