It doesn’t matter how well you hit the irons or how far your shots go off the tee. What’s the point if you can’t get the ball in the hole? Your golf game will definitely go to the next level if you can putt well. It will also make other parts of your game easier.
Yaeeun Hong, 21, is ranked number one on the 2023 LPGA Tour for average putting. If you only looked at her stats, you might think she is the best putter in the world (see top 10 below), but she has only played in 33 events so far this season.
I’ve picked out a few of the best female players in the world and explained why they are so good with the short stick.
Check out Reading Greens: Ruoning Yin
It is very important to be able to read greens. It’s important to be able to see where the ground goes and the bigger picture, whether you can just see the line or use Aim Point, which is used by Lydia Ko and Charley Hull, among others.
As players walk up to the green, reading the green starts on the fairway. The natural shape of the land and what’s on either side of the green will help you figure out where the ball will land on the putting surface. Ruoning Yin, who is ranked second in the world, does a great job of seeing that line and sticking to it. She is determined and has already won a Major this season. She makes a lot of birdie putts and really wants to win. If you want to read greens, see a line, and trust it, this tough attitude will help.
Controlling the Distance – Anna Nordqvist
Controlling your distance is something that you have to almost train yourself to do. Players who are great at lag putting have settings for controlling distance that are very sensitive. It’s not a coincidence; these players train for it. But I also think that some players can just feel how much to give a putt. A lot of amateurs don’t realise how much these pros practise long putts, especially during practise games.
Anna Nordqvist has a great sense of distance and has the nicest touch on the greens, especially when she’s putting from a long way off. The fact that Anna is so focused on this shows why she is one of the best.
Stick to a routine – Georgia Hall
It seems like a given that all great putters are able to stay focused and not get sidetracked. I often say that you should be able to block out background noise and have “quiet eyes” so that you can focus on the putt in front of you and not on the greenkeeper walking by or your playing partner on the phone.
Putts often get missed by golfers whose eyes are constantly moving from one thing to another. Doing your pre-shot routine without thinking will help you do better on the greens. Some people have tunnel vision, and Georgia Hall is a great example of someone who sticks to her pattern no matter what.
Charley Hull has ADHD, so it’s easy for her to get sidetracked. To stay focused on the task at hand, she follows her pattern to the letter, and Aimpoint helps her do so. Having a method is like telling people what to do. Both players average less than 30 putts per round, which shows where they stand in the LPGA standings. Say “Tick-Tock” as you putt if you have trouble concentrating. You will keep your pace and speed up smoothly, and nothing else will come to mind.
Stroke Like a Machine – NASA Hataoka
Those golfers whose swing is so steady and consistent that they almost never miss will always make birdies with those arrow-like approach shots. Nasa Hataoka, a Japanese player, is so impressive. In round 1 of the end-of-season CME Group Tour Championship, she hit her approach shots like lasers and made 11 straight putts. With a score of 63, her putter was on fire and her swing was so steady that it would take a lot of jitters to play her in match play.
People like Nasa and other great putters keep their eyes on the ball until it has moved at least 4 feet. This helps them stay steady. When you hit the ball, if your stroke is steady, you’ll make more holes. If you watch the putt go where you think it will go as it leaves the face, you will question yourself and notice that the clubface is no longer square. These tips will help you get that ball home more often.
Important to Align – Danielle Kang
It will really help you get better at moving the putter up and down the line if you use an alignment tool on your ball. Danielle Kang is a player who has had a lot of success using a line on her ball. She is ranked No. 2 on the LPGA average putting list. Based on how she played in the Solheim Cup, she won’t be going anywhere soon. She has learned not to cry over spilled milk and to get the job done through her work with Butch Harmon over the past few years. Pay attention to what she does well and don’t waste time on things that might annoy some people.
Let go of any stress – Ariya Jutanguarn
Ariya Jutanguarn is an example of a player who always smiles and doesn’t show much stress. As part of her routine before a shot, she tells herself that she’s ready and thankful by smiling. After having a bad mood during her first year on the LPGA, she worked hard to find happiness on the course. At Vision54 in Scottsdale, she went to see Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott for help. They helped her with her “human” tasks and pushed her to stick to a pattern that focused on why she loves golf instead of trying to win. It really paid off. Smile more like Ariya, and you won’t be stressed.
Lydia Ko: Putting away missed putts and moving on
A gift is being able to focus on the putt you’re about to make right now and only that putt. If you want to be unbeatable on the greens, you need to be able to forget about the missed putt and make a 5-footer on the next hole right away. Not letting bad shots bother you means you can quickly get back on track and do a lot less damage.
She has been known for a long time as one of the best putters in the game. Her putting has been so consistent this season on the LPGA tour, even when she hasn’t had a great round. She comes fourth in the average putting stats. Professional athletes need to be able to quickly get back on track after a setback. Everybody can learn from the pros. Going back to a pattern and focusing on the task at hand is what it comes down to.
Alison Lee on Self-Belief
You have to think you can hole anything from anywhere if you want to be a good putter. It’s over; the ball is going in. A lot of the time, this confidence helps you on the greens, but you have to start making putts regularly to get it. You can sink everything if you have a good plan for practise. Confidence comes from seeing yourself succeed and from hearing positive feedback from other people.
Alison Lee is killing it on the golf course right now—her last 12 games have all been 65s or better! That is crazy. Fred Couples, who is her boss, is always telling her she’s great, and she’s starting to believe him. The hole is like a magnet for your ball when you have that excitement from other people. You think you can’t lose.
Average for Putting – LPGA Tour 2023
- Yeeeun Hong – 33* – 28.12
- Danielle Kang – 71 – 28.74
- Minami Katsu – 74 – 28.92
- Lydia Ko – 71 – 28.92
- Pavarisa Yoktuan – 64 – 29.00
- Jeongeun Lee6 – 73 – 29.07
- Manon de Roey – 31 – 29.10
- Dottie Ardina – 42 – 29.11
- Xiyu Lin – 79 – 29.16
- Ana Belac – 27 – 29.22
Total rounds played
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