Putting Series Final Thoughts (for now)
Putting It All Together: From the Putter in Your Hands to the Ball in the Hole
Over the course of the Lambert Golf Academy Putting Series, we have spent a lot of time talking about one club: the putter. There is a reason for that.
Putting may appear to be one of the simplest motions in golf, but becoming a good putter requires much more than simply swinging the putter back and forth. Equipment, setup, stroke, contact, distance control, green reading, practice, confidence, and decision making all play a role. That is why I chose to approach putting as a series rather than a single article.
My goal was never to give you five quick putting tips and promise that you would suddenly make everything you looked at. Instead, I wanted to break putting into individual pieces, explain why each one matters, and then show how those pieces work together. Now it is time to put them back together.
Part 1: Fit the Putter
We began with the equipment in our hands. Before changing a golfer's putting stroke, I believe we should make sure the putter allows that golfer to establish a comfortable and repeatable setup. Length, lie, loft, head design, alignment features, and grip can all influence how we address the golf ball and deliver the putter.
The philosophy was simple: Fit the putter to the golfer. Do not force the golfer to fit the putter.
The putter does not have to look like everyone else's. It needs to help you produce predictable results.
Part 2: Build the Setup
Once we know the equipment works for the golfer, we can establish the foundation for the stroke.
We looked at posture, balance, eye position, ball position, distance from the golf ball, and how the arms naturally hang.
There is not one perfect putting setup for every golfer. What matters is whether your setup allows you to see your intended line, control the putter face, strike the golf ball consistently, and repeat the motion.
A repeatable stroke begins with a repeatable setup.
Part 3: Train the Stroke
From there, we moved into the putting stroke itself. Instead of trying to create a stroke that simply looks good, we focused on what the stroke actually produces.
Can you strike the center of the putter face?
Can you control the face?
Can you start the golf ball on your intended line?
Can you produce consistent rhythm?
Can you repeat it?
Those outcomes are ultimately more important than trying to make every golfer's stroke look exactly the same.
Functional. Repeatable. Predictable.
That is what we are trying to build.
Part 4: Control the Distance
Then we moved into one of the most important putting skills: distance control. The farther we move from the hole, the less realistic it becomes to judge every putt solely by whether it goes in. From 30, 40, or 50 feet, a putt that finishes 12 inches from the hole is an excellent result. Distance control requires us to understand how stroke length, rhythm, green speed, slope, and contact influence how far the golf ball travels.
It also plays an enormous role in reducing three putts. Sometimes the best putting improvement is not making more 40 footers. It is turning more potential three putts into easy two putts.
Parts 5.0 and 5.5: Understand the Grip and the Rules
We then explored different ways to hold the putter.
Conventional.
Lead hand low.
The Claw.
Pencil.
Prayer.
And other variations.
Rather than asking which grip is universally "best," I encouraged golfers to ask a different question: What are we trying to accomplish?
A change in grip should have a purpose.
Maybe we are trying to quiet an overly active trail hand.
Maybe we want better face control.
Maybe we are looking for improved feel or comfort.
We also discussed the Rules of Golf so golfers understand the difference between experimenting with a putting grip and making a stroke that violates the anchoring provisions. Experimentation can be valuable. But understand why you are making the change.
Part 6: Read the Green
A great stroke aimed in the wrong direction is still going in the wrong direction. That is why green reading became such an important part of the series. We discussed looking at the entire landscape rather than focusing only on the few feet immediately surrounding the golf ball.
Where is the high side?
Where is the low side?
Is the putt uphill or downhill?
What happens as the ball loses speed near the hole?
What do your eyes see?
What do your feet feel?
I also shared my hand tracing method for visualizing the rises, falls, curves, and undulations the golf ball may encounter on its journey toward the hole.
The key word is journey.
“Don't just read the line. Read the journey the ball has to take to get to the hole.”Stuart Lambert, PGA
And throughout that discussion, we returned to one fundamental concept: There is no correct line without the correct speed.
Line and speed work together.
Part 7: Practice With a Purpose
Knowing what to do is only part of becoming a better putter. We have to practice it. But practice should have a reason. That is why the drill section was not simply a collection of things to do on the putting green.
Start Line Gate.
Putter Gate.
Center Contact.
Three Foot Circle.
Distance Ladder.
Putt to the Fringe.
Around the Clock.
High Side Challenge.
Same Putt Different Speeds.
Eyes Versus Feet.
One Ball Journey.
Nine Hole Putting Challenge.
Each drill was designed to address a particular skill.
If you struggle with start direction, practice start direction.
If you struggle with distance control, practice distance control.
If you consistently miss breaking putts on the low side, practice reading and respecting break.
Let your performance tell you what needs work.
“Practice with a purpose. Let your performance on the course tell you what needs your attention, and build your practice around it.”Stuart Lambert, PGA
Part 8: Play Putting Games
Eventually, we have to move beyond repetition. Golf gives us one ball and one opportunity.
That is why I wanted to finish the practice portion of the series with putting games.
Around the World.
HORSE.
Putting Cornhole.
Tic Tac Toe.
Closest to the Hole.
Knockout.
High Side or Out.
Three Putt Penalty.
Golf on the Putting Green.
Beat the Pro.
The Lambert Putting Combine.
Games introduce scoring, strategy, competition, consequences, and pressure. You cannot simply rake another ball over and try again. The putt begins to matter. And that is exactly what happens on the golf course.
“Drills build the skill. Games test the skill. Competition teaches you to trust it.”Stuart Lambert, PGA
Now Put Everything Together
This is where I believe the series becomes most valuable. Imagine standing over a 12 foot breaking putt on the golf course. Everything we have discussed is now happening at once.
Your putter needs to fit you.
Your setup needs to be comfortable and repeatable.
Your stroke needs to produce predictable contact and face control.
Your distance control determines how aggressively the golf ball can approach the hole.
Your grip needs to allow you to control the putter without unnecessary tension.
Your green reading determines the line and speed you select.
Your practice has prepared the skill.
Your putting games have helped prepare you for the fact that this time there is only one ball.
Now you have to make a decision. Trust it. And roll the putt. That is putting.
When Something Goes Wrong, Work Backward
One of the biggest benefits of understanding the entire process is that we do not have to immediately change our stroke every time we miss a putt. Instead, diagnose what happened.
Was it the read?
Was it the starting line?
Was it the speed?
Was it the contact?
Was it the setup?
Did I actually commit to the putt?
That distinction matters. If you read a putt incorrectly but rolled the ball exactly where you intended at the speed you intended, changing your putting stroke would make very little sense. Likewise, if your read was correct but you struck the golf ball on the toe of the putter and left it short, the problem was not necessarily your green reading. Learn to separate Read versus Roll.
The better we become at identifying why a putt missed, the more productive our practice can become.
Your Putting Practice Should Evolve
I also hope this series changes the way you spend time on the putting green. Do not simply drop three golf balls 10 feet from a hole and putt them over and over again.
Give your practice structure.
Work on technique when technique needs attention.
Work on distance control.
Read different slopes.
Change distances.
Use one ball.
Keep score.
Play games.
Create pressure.
And sometimes just have fun.
Putting practice does not have to be boring. More importantly, it should begin looking increasingly like the game you are preparing to play.
There Is No Finish Line
Finishing the Putting Series does not mean we have finished learning how to putt. Quite the opposite. Now we have a framework.
When something begins to break down, we have somewhere to look.
When our distance control struggles, we have drills.
When our green reading becomes uncertain, we have a process.
When practice becomes repetitive, we have games.
When the putter does not feel comfortable, we can revisit fit and setup.
The series gives us a way to continually evaluate and develop our putting. And now we can begin taking those lessons beyond the putting green. Because sometimes the best club from just off the green is still the putter. That is where we go next.
The Putting Series in One Progression
That progression is ultimately what I hoped to accomplish when I began this series. Putting is not about finding a secret. It is about developing skills, understanding your tendencies, practicing the things that actually need improvement, and creating a process you can trust when you have one golf ball and one opportunity.
“Practice with a purpose. Play with a purpose. Trust your process.”Stuart Lambert, PGA
Thank you for following along with the Lambert Golf Academy Putting Series. I hope you learned something, found a drill or game that helps your practice, developed a better understanding of your own putting, and most importantly...
I hope it helps you make more putts!
Stuart Lambert, PGA Lambert Golf Academy
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