Written by GOLFTEC

Become more consistent on the greens by perfecting the length of your putting backstroke

Everyone has a different golf swing, and everyone surely has a different way of going about putting. From the grip to the stroke, the range is vast. The grip thing comes down to preference but the putting stroke is a whole different story.

When we’re talking about stroke, a lot of the variation starts in the backstroke. It’s like the Goldilocks principle; one’s too short, one’s too long. But when it comes to proficiency, it needs to be pretty uniform.

When the backstroke is too long and then comes to a sudden halt after contact, there’s hardly a way to control the speed. And when you barely take the putter back and accelerate through the ball, you’ll have speed control issues as well.

What’s the perfect stroke?

So where’s the happy medium in all of this? Vice President of Instruction, Nick Clearwater, discusses and gives an example of what the perfect backstroke length should look like.

In the below graphic, we measured three types of stokes using our TECPUTT technology. The top two putting strokes are examples of the “too far back and not enough forward” and the “not enough back and too far forward” putting strokes. And the third shows what the best putting stroke looks like: almost identical on the way back through impact.

Like a lot of aspects of golf, putting is one of those things that has a ‘feel’ to it, so trying to alter your putting stroke to ensure it looks like the third option above doesn’t happen overnight. And because of that, Nick shares a simple drill to help you. All you need is a putter, a couple of balls, and a marker.

If your putting stroke looks like the first option above, too far back with too much deceleration, place the marker about eight to ten inches behind the ball and try not to go past the marker in your backstroke.

Now if your stroke looks like option number two, move that maker to about a foot behind the ball. You’ll want to ensure your putter reaches the marker in the backstroke. Make sure in either scenario, the putter goes just as far forward through the ball after impact as it went back in the backstroke.

After a little practice while using the marker as a guide, this ‘feel’ will start to become a habit, and you’ll see your putting become much more consistent over time. And if you still need help on the greens, find your local GOLFTEC and schedule a putting lesson today!

GOLFTEC Canada is the Master Franchisor for GOLFTEC in Canada, currently operating 20 Improvement Centres across the country, from Vancouver to Ottawa, including in select Golf Town locations. In Canada, they teach more than 25% of all private lessons, with 70 Certified PGA of Canada Instructors as full time coaches across the country. In their private lesson facilities, they teach all levels of golfers, from beginners to aspiring tour players.