1) Aim for the high side

You may have heard the term, “miss your putt on the pro side.” That refers to one of the best pieces of putting advice out there, which is to give yourself more room on the higher side of the hole. Most golfers do not play enough break, and end up missing on the lower side. If a putt is clearly breaking left to right, you will give yourself a better opportunity to make it if you play more break to the left side.

2) Look at the big picture

If you’re having trouble reading greens, then you’re probably not searching for enough clues. Looking at just the line of your putt if often not the greatest indication of which way it is going to break. Most greens will have a high side and a low side for drainage reasons. Putts will often break towards these low points overall. Start looking at the whole green to uncover these major trends.

3) Longer putts are all about speed

Your chances of making putts over 20 feet are very minimal. The quality of your read from these distances is not as important as your speed. Be more concerned with the speed, and trying to leave the ball within a five-foot circle around the hole so you can help limit three putts.

Bonus Content:Be sure to check out my complete guide to putting.

4) Routine, routine, routine

Being a great putter is largely about confidence and positive thinking. If you can develop a routine that is deliberate, and that you can repeat every time it will help you commit to each putt. This is a great area to observe the pros on television to see how they have almost the same exact process before each putt.

5) Make Your Read from the Low Side

This is a great tip from Dave Stockton’s book. Always make your reads from the low side of the putt. It’s much harder to see the line if you are standing on the higher side.

6) Trust Your Instincts

A confident stroke with the wrong read is much better than a tentative stroke with the right read. If you spend too much time second-guessing yourself before you putt it will lead to a less confident stroke. Trust your instincts, and be decisive.

Bonus Content: Check out our putting drills guide