Play enough golf and you realize that 4’ putts can make or break your round. They build or ruin confidence in a matter of seconds. Drain a few going out, and you’ll carry that confidence throughout day - in contrast, miss a few going out and the next few hours are going to be a struggle. Tour Pros make 93% of their four-footers, in tournament conditions no less, so its safe to say they log in plenty of hours honing this skill, and you should too.

Statistics say the flat stick is responsible for 40% of your score (on average), and if you add that to shots inside of 100 yds, you’re talking 60% of the game.  So let’s think about this logically - if you have 45 minutes to practice, we want 20 of those minutes to be putting, another 10 of those minutes to be short game shots, and the balance can be everything else.  Top amateurs, collegiate players, and pros all log far more miles on the putting green than they do the range before a round. It's on the greens where scores are settled, tournaments are won, and legends are made.

So how do you make four footers? Simple, practice. But aside from practice, there’s a strategy you can use to make more 4’ putts than ever - we call it spot putting.  A 4’ putt is rarely a putt that you need to play outside of the hole, so statistically speaking, you’re looking to to hit your 4’ putt either dead center, inside left cup, or inside right cup. Once you’ve determined your line, the next step is to pick your spot. A dry area, a blade of grass, an old divot, essentially anything can be used as your spot as long as it’s in line with the ball and cup. The key here is picking the right spot.

From there, you’re only goal is to roll the ball over the spot. Speed is always a factor, but we try to hit every 4’ putt the same - irregardless of green speed or slope. A perfectly rolled putt hits your spot and then goes in. Hypothetically speaking, if you were to miss, the ball would roll 12-18” past the hole. No more, no less. There’s enough pace to keep the ball rolling true and on line. My swing thought is 'keep the putter moving thru the ball smoothly and finish low'. Do what works best for you, and remember that the only thing that matters is hitting your spot with the correct pace. Consistently. Everytime. And now you know. 

June 03, 2021 — Scott Morrison