The Lambert Golf Academy Putting Series

Why I Chose to Start With the Putter

When golfers talk about improving their game, the conversation often begins with the golf swing.

• How do I hit my driver farther?

• How do I hit my irons more consistently?

• How do I stop slicing the golf ball?

• How do I create more clubhead speed?

Those are important questions, and they are certainly areas of the game worth improving. But when I thought about creating an instructional series for Lambert Golf Academy, I wanted to begin somewhere different. I wanted to start with the putter.

Why?

Because putting is one of the few areas of golf where virtually every golfer, regardless of age, athletic ability, strength, or handicap, has an opportunity to improve. You do not need to swing the club 110 miles per hour. You do not need to carry the golf ball 250 yards. You do not need extraordinary flexibility or strength.

You need to develop a repeatable process.

Putting is much more than simply moving the putter back and forth. Throughout this series, we have looked at the entire process of becoming a better putter. We started with equipment and setup, moved into the stroke and distance control, explored different putting grips and green reading, developed purposeful practice drills, turned those drills into games, and eventually took the putter off the putting green.

Each topic builds on the one before it.

That was intentional.

Build the setup. Fit the putter. Train the stroke. Control the distance. Read the green. Practice with a purpose. Play with a purpose. Make more putts.

That is what this series is about.

Why Putting?

Golfers love practicing the full swing. There is something satisfying about hitting a driver well. You hear the sound, watch the golf ball fly, and immediately know when you have hit a great shot. Putting is different.

It does not have the same speed or dramatic ball flight. But a three foot putt counts exactly the same on the scorecard as a 275 yard drive.

One stroke. That is one reason putting deserves our attention. But I also believe putting provides golfers with an opportunity to learn some of the most important skills in the game. Putting requires us to make decisions.

• We have to read the green.

• We have to determine speed.

• We have to select a starting line.

• We have to aim the putter.

• We have to control the face.

• We have to strike the ball consistently.

• We have to manage distance.

• And then we have to trust all of that information long enough to make the stroke.

Putting is technical, visual, physical, and mental. That makes it a fascinating part of the game to teach. It is also why I did not want this series to become a collection of putting tips.

I wanted to create a progression.

Part 1: Fit the Putter

The series began with a question that I believe is often overlooked: Does your putter actually fit you?

Golfers will spend considerable time getting fit for a driver or irons and then buy a putter because they like the way it looks or because their favorite Tour player uses it. But the putter is equipment too.

• Length matters.

• Lie matters.

• Loft matters.

• Head design matters.

• Alignment features matter.

• Grip size and shape matter.

Most importantly, those specifications should work with the golfer standing over the golf ball. One of the concepts we discussed was how putter length affects setup. I like seeing the putter shaft work naturally with the golfer's forearms rather than forcing the golfer into an uncomfortable position simply because the putter happens to be a certain length.

That leads to an important principle: Fit the putter to the golfer. Do not force the golfer to fit the putter.

A good putting stroke becomes much easier to develop when the equipment allows the golfer to establish a comfortable, balanced, repeatable setup.

Part 2: Build the Setup

Before we worry about what the putter is doing during the stroke, we need to look at the golfer.

• Where are the feet?

• Where are the eyes?

• How far are we standing from the golf ball?

• Where is the ball positioned?

• How are the arms hanging?

• Does the golfer look balanced and comfortable?

• Can we return to that position repeatedly?

I do not believe every golfer needs to look exactly the same. Bodies are different. Putters are different. Visual tendencies are different. What I am looking for is a setup that allows the golfer to see the intended line, control the putter, and return the face consistently. The setup gives us the foundation.

If we are constantly fighting our posture, distance from the ball, eye position, or equipment, producing a repeatable stroke becomes much more difficult.

Part 3: Train the Stroke

Once the setup and equipment begin working together, we can focus on the stroke. This is where golfers sometimes make putting more complicated than it needs to be. The objective is not to create a putting stroke that looks perfect on video. The objective is to create a stroke that produces predictable results.

• Can you control the putter face?

• Can you strike the center of the face?

• Can you start the golf ball on your intended line?

• Can you produce a consistent rhythm?

• Can you repeat it?

Those questions matter more to me than whether your stroke looks exactly like someone else's.

A golfer's putting stroke should be functional, repeatable, and predictable.

That gives us something we can trust.

Part 4: Control the Distance

If I had to identify one area of putting that many amateur golfers could benefit from practicing more often, distance control would be near the top of the list. Golfers spend a lot of time trying to make putts. That makes sense.

But from 30, 40, or 50 feet, success does not always mean making the putt. Sometimes success means leaving yourself 18 inches. The goal of good distance control is to develop an understanding of how the length and rhythm of the stroke influence how far the golf ball rolls.

We want the golfer to begin looking at a target and instinctively developing an appropriate response. That requires practice from different distances. Not ten balls from 20 feet. Then ten from 30. Then ten from 40. Eventually, we need to randomize it. Twelve feet. Thirty five feet. Eighteen feet. Forty feet. Nine feet.

That is closer to golf. Every putt asks a new question.

Part 5.0: Putting Grip Styles

Then we moved to something golfers often ask about: How should I hold the putter?

• Traditional reverse overlap.

• Cross handed or left hand low.

• The Claw.

• Prayer style.

• And other variations.

Rather than declaring that there is one correct putting grip, I wanted golfers to understand why different grips exist. A grip can influence wrist activity, face control, tension, feel, and how the arms and shoulders work together.

• The Claw, for example, can be helpful for a golfer who feels that the trail hand becomes too active.

• Cross handed can change how the shoulders and lead side interact.

• A conventional grip may provide excellent feel and control for another golfer.

The question should not simply be: “Which grip is best?”

The better question is: “What problem are we trying to solve?”

That philosophy runs throughout this entire series. Do not change something simply because another golfer does it. Understand why you are changing it.

Part 5.5: Understanding the Rules of the Putting Grip

Once we began discussing grip styles, it made sense to talk about the Rules of Golf. Golfers should understand that there is room for individuality in how they hold and use the putter, but there are still equipment and stroke requirements established by the USGA and The R&A.

This section gave us an opportunity to connect instruction with the Rules. That is important. Golfers should understand not only how they can experiment with technique and equipment, but also the boundaries within which those choices must operate.

Part 6: Read the Green

A beautiful putting stroke cannot compensate for consistently reading the wrong line. That brought us to green reading.

We discussed looking at greens from large to small.

• Where is the high side?

• Where is the low side?

• Is the putt uphill or downhill?

• What happens during the final few feet?

• Where will the golf ball lose speed?

We also explored how professional golfers use their feet to gather information about slope. And I shared one of the ways I personally visualize greens. For example, I hold my right hand roughly parallel to the ground and use it to trace what I see from the golf ball to the hole. If the green rises, my hand rises. If it falls, my hand falls. If the contour changes direction, my hand follows it. I am not using my hand as a measuring device. I am using it to create a visual picture of the journey the golf ball needs to take.

That led to one of my favorite ideas from the series:

“Don't just read the line. Read the journey the ball has to take to get to the hole.”Stuart Lambert, PGA

Because a putt is not simply a straight line drawn between two points. The golf ball has to travel across terrain. And that terrain influences its journey. Most importantly, green reading brought us back to the relationship between line and speed:

There is no correct line without the correct speed.

You cannot separate the two.

Part 7: Putting Drills That Work

Once we have learned the skills, we have to practice them.

But I did not want to publish a list of 25 random putting drills.

Instead, I wanted every drill to have a purpose.

That is where this philosophy became central to the series:

“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

If you are struggling with start direction, practice start direction. If you are hitting the heel and toe of the putter, work on center contact. If you are regularly three putting because your first putt finishes six feet away, work on distance control. If you continually miss breaking putts on the low side, work on green reading.

The drills we developed included the 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, and the Nine Hole Challenge.

Each drill answers a question. What skill am I trying to improve?

That should come before: What drill should I do?

Part 8: Putting Games

This may be one of my favorite parts of the entire series. Putting should be fun!

Have you ever imagined standing over a putt to win the Masters, The Open, the U.S. Open, THE PLAYERS, or the PGA Championship? Most golfers have. Maybe it is six feet on the 18th green at Augusta National. Maybe it is ten feet to win the U.S. Open. We create those moments because they make the putt mean something. That is exactly what putting games can do for practice.

We utilize games such as Around the World, HORSE, 21, Putting Cornhole, Tic Tac Toe Putting, Closest to the Hole, Knockout, High Side or Out, Three Putt Penalty, Golf on the Putting Green, Beat the Pro, and the Lambert Putting Combine.

Games introduce something drills cannot always reproduce:

• Consequence.

• You get one ball.

• There is a score.

• Someone may be watching.

• Your opponent just made the putt.

• You need this one to win.

• Suddenly your routine matters a little more.

• Your hands may feel different.

• You may begin thinking about the result.

That is useful practice.

“Drills build the skill. Games test the skill. Competition teaches you to trust it.”Stuart Lambert, PGA

That is why I want golfers doing both. Practice the skill. Then test it.

Where the Series Goes Next: Take the Putter Off the Green

After spending this much time developing putting skills, the next logical question is: Why stop at the edge of the green?

That is where the next part of our series begins. There are situations around the green where the putter may be one of the safest and most effective clubs in the bag. If the lie is clean, the grass is closely mown, there is no obstacle between you and the hole, and you can reasonably roll the golf ball along the ground, why automatically reach for a wedge?

Sometimes the best chip is not a chip.

That leads to another principle:

“If you don't have to put the ball in the air, don't ! ”Stuart Lambert, PGA

And an even broader short game philosophy:

“Around the green, choose the shot that requires the fewest things to go right.”Stuart Lambert, PGA

That is where our putting series begins transitioning into short game decision making.

There Is No Perfect Putting Stroke

If there is one thing I hope golfers take away from this series, it is that I am not trying to build identical putting strokes.

• Golfers are different.

• Bodies are different.

• Eyes are different.

• Putters are different.

• Grips are different.

• Green reading preferences are different.

What works beautifully for one golfer may not be the best solution for another. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to develop something that is repeatable and predictable.

• Can you establish a comfortable setup?

• Does the putter fit that setup?

• Can you consistently strike the center of the face?

• Can you start the golf ball where you intend?

• Can you control your distance?

• Can you read the green?

• Can you commit to the decision?

• Can you do it when the putt matters?

If we can answer those questions more consistently, we are becoming better putters.

Why I Chose This Series

I chose to spend this much time on putting because I want golfers to understand that improvement does not always require swinging harder, changing everything mechanically, or spending hours hitting golf balls. Sometimes improvement begins much closer to the hole. Putting gives us an opportunity to develop technique, feel, decision making, visualization, routine, confidence, and performance. And almost everyone can practice it.

• You can spend 15 minutes on a putting green.

• You can work on start direction.

• You can work on distance control.

• You can practice reading greens.

• You can play a game with your child.

• You can challenge a friend.

• You can keep score.

• You can compete against yourself.

And you can get better. That is what I wanted this series to accomplish. Not to give golfers another collection of tips. But to give them a process.

The Lambert Golf Academy Putting Progression

Everything we have covered can be summarized in a simple progression:

• Build the Setup.

• Fit the Putter.

• Train the Stroke.

• Control the Distance.

• Understand Your Grip.

• Read the Green.

• Practice With a Purpose.

• Play With a Purpose.

• Take It to the Golf Course.

• Make More Putts.

Each step supports the next. And when something begins going wrong, we can work backward and identify the problem rather than immediately changing the putting stroke. That is purposeful practice. That is purposeful coaching. And that is ultimately what I want Lambert Golf Academy golfers to learn.

“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

The goal is not to become the best putter on the practice green.

The goal is to become a better putter when it counts.

Next Article: Geek Out (Putting Statistics)

Before moving on to Putting Series, Part I, I would like to take a closer look at some PGA TOUR and amateur putting statistics. These numbers provide valuable perspective on how often golfers make putts from different distances, how putting performance changes across handicap levels, and just how good the best players in the world really are on the greens. More importantly, they can help us establish realistic expectations for our own putting and identify where purposeful practice may have the greatest impact on our scores. I hope you enjoy the Putting Series, learn something along the way, and, most importantly, make more putts!

You will notice that I use graphics throughout each article in the Putting Series. As a teacher and coach, I understand that we all learn differently, and sometimes a picture can communicate a concept more clearly than another paragraph of instruction. I hope these graphics help you visualize what we are discussing and, more importantly, give you something simple and practical that you can take with you to the practice green.

Stuart Lambert, PGA Lambert Golf Academy