Putting address position explained

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Gary Alliss gives some tips on how a proper putting address position can help you hole out more efficiently.

Putting address position

How well are your putts rolling? If you are hitting putts that seem to get easily knocked off line, weakly dribbling towards the target, you may need to check the angle your putter is approaching the ball.

Ideally, at the moment of impact the putter should be travelling either level to or rising away from the ground.

If you are hitting down on the ball, it will pop up into the air before it starts to roll. This is where a poor strike comes from and we have a host of drills to help you with putting strikes specifcally.

That is why it is important to set the ball a little forward of centre at address for the most consistent strikes and strongest rolls - its a similar theory for ball position throughout the game.

Lots of amateurs are not only poorly aligned, but they also lack consistency in aiming. This can sometimes be the result of using a putter of incorrect length. As a result, their short putts often miss the hole both to the left and the right.

In order to test your consistency on short length putts, hit ten putts towards a hole and leave all the balls on the green in the position they finished. Then, take a look at the shot finish pattern. Which side did you tend to miss the hole on and was there an inconsistent trend?

A correct address position is a balanced one. It keeps the parts of your body parallel to your intended aimline. A fundamentally sound setup you will allow you to make consistently solid contact with the ball.

Read more top putting tips

Try this!

At address, hold the top of your putter next to your left eye. You should see the putter head directly over the ball.

If you can get into this position consistently, your putting is guaranteed to improve.