A reliable putting stroke does not have to travel straight back adn straight through. For many golfers, the putter naturally moves on a small arc as the shoulders rock and the club swings around the body. The goal is not to manufacture that curve with your hands, but to let it happen while returning the face square to the intended start line.
The inside arc putting drill gives you a simple way to feel that motion. It can definitely help if you tend to steer the putter, drag it too far insideor lose control of the face on short putts. Start on a straight, level putt, keep the stroke quietand focus on solid contact before worrying about making everything.
Use the Drill to Find a Natural Stroke
Choose a six-foot putt on a flat section of the practice green. place two tees just outside the toe of the putter: one roughly four inches behind the ball and another four inches in front. Leave enough space for the putterhead to move freely. The tees are there to provide a reference,not to trap the putter on a perfectly straight path.
as you take the putter back, allow it to move slightly inward. Return it squarely to the ball, then let it continue gently inward after impact.The vital part is the face: it should be square to your chosen line when it meets the ball. The arc comes from the putter swinging with your shoulders, not from rolling your forearms or flicking your wrists.
Start with short strokes and a relaxed grip.If you are new to the drill,your only job may be to strike the middle of the face and start the ball on line. Once that feels agreeable, use a chalk line or alignment string to check whether the ball is actually starting where you intended. A stroke can look smooth and still send the ball offline if the face is not controlled.
Work through a few distances rather than hitting the same putt over and over. Roll five balls from three feet, five from six feetand five from 10 feet. Keep the tempo similar and let stroke length change for distance.From short range, pay attention to whether the ball starts on your line. From 10 feet, a good result is usually a putt that finishes close enough for an easy second putt, not necessarily one that drops.
A common mistake is pulling the handle sharply inside on the takeaway while leaving the face open. For a right-handed golfer, that ofen leads to a push. Try feeling the putterhead stay in front of your hands for the first few inches,and keep grip pressure even in both hands. Your eyes should be overor just slightly inside, the ball-to-target line; the ball should sit a little forward of center; and the shoulders should do most of the work. Let the backswing and follow-through stay roughly the same length on ordinary putts.
Build a Setup that Lets the Putter Swing
Good putting usually starts with a simple address position. Aim the putterface first, then set your feet about hip-width apart and let your arms hang naturally from the shoulders.Most players do well with their eyes directly over the ball or just inside the target line.If you are unsure, drop a ball from the bridge of your nose during practice. It should land on or just inside that line.
For a right-handed golfer, place the ball around half an inch to an inch forward of center. Keep the shaft close to vertical,with the hands only slightly ahead of the ball. This helps the putter reach the ball near the bottom of the stroke without forcing a big forward press or taking away too much loft.
Grip pressure matters more than many players realize. Hold the putter firmly enough to control it, but lightly enough that your shoulders can rock without your wrists taking over. If the putter sits noticeably toe-up or heel-up at address, check your posture and lie angle before trying to rebuild your stroke. Equipment that does not sit properly can make a simple motion feel awkward.
To make the arc easier to see, place two tees slightly wider than the putterhead four to six inches behind the ball. Rehearse the takeaway without a ball. You should feel the putter move gently inward, not get yanked behind you. A slight arc is natural; an exaggerated one usually means the hands or forearms are becoming too active.
Hit a handful of four-foot putts using a steady count: “one” back, “two” through. If you repeatedly strike the heel, you might potentially be crowding the ball or holding too much tension in your arms. If you catch the toe, check whether you are standing too tall or pulling the hands inward.A little impact tape or face spray can be useful here. Centered contact gives you much better feedback than simply watching whether a putt happened to go in.
Take Face Control to the Course
Better face control is what turns a decent practice stroke into better scoring. The path does not need to be perfectly straight. What matters is returning the face square to the start line with enough speed to match the putt. A simple starting-line gate can definitely help: place two tees about 12 to 18 inches in front of the ball,just wide enough for it to pass through. If the ball clips the inside tee, the face might potentially be closed at impact. If it catches the outside tee,it may be open.
Use the gate from four to six feet before moving farther away. Roll putts through it with a calm, shoulder-led stroke. Do not try to hold the face open to fix a left miss or flip it closed to fix a right miss.Those compensations tend to create bigger problems. Instead, check your grip pressure, ball positionand whether one hand is trying to take control through impact.
The same principles apply on the course, especially when the putt has slope. Read the break, choose a start lineand then make the same stroke you used in practice. On a right-to-left putt, for example, it is tempting to guide the putter across the ball. resist that urge. Aim the face where you want the ball to begin and let the slope do the rest.
Speed should be decided before you settle over the ball. On quick downhill greens, use a shorter stroke with the same unhurried rhythm. on slower greens, into grainor in damp conditions, lengthen the stroke instead of adding a hit with your hands. Indecision often leads to decelerationand a decelerating stroke makes both distance and face control harder.
For long putts,judge yourself by leave distance. A 25-footer that finishes within a couple of feet is usually a success, particularly on a fast green or a putt with a lot of break. Before a round, spend a few minutes rolling putts from diffrent distances to the fringe, a teeor another target rather than always aiming at a hole. That gives you a feel for the day’s speed without the pressure of whether the ball falls.
Keep the stroke within the Rules as well. The putter or a gripping hand cannot be anchored against the body during the stroke, although conventional, claw, cross-handedand many long-putter styles are permitted when thay are not anchored. ([usga.org](https://www.usga.org/RulesFAQ/rules_answer.asp?FAQidx=272&Rule=0&Topic=14&utm_source=openai))
Keep It Simple and Repeatable
The drill works best when it stays simple. Set up square, let the shoulders move the putter, allow a modest natural arcand return the face to the line you selected. Practice it first on straight putts, then carry the same motion to breaking putts and longer lag putts.
If you want a useful finishing test, try making 10 consecutive three-footers through the tee gate. start again after a miss. It is not about creating pressure for its own sake; it is about learning to trust the same setup and stroke when every putt matters. over time, that trust can mean fewer rushed second putts, fewer three-putts, and more chances to save par.
