• Search
  • News
    • Opinion
    • Tournaments
      • Emirates Australian Open
      • PGA Championship
      • The Open Championship
      • U.S. Open
      • The Masters
      • 2020 Olympics
    • Video
  • Equipment
    • Accessories
    • Balls
    • Drivers
    • Fairway Woods
    • Hybrids
    • Irons
    • Putters
    • Wedges
    • Fashion
      • Autumn / Winter
      • Spring / Summer
  • Travel
    • New Zealand
    • Australia
    • International
  • Top 50 Courses
  • Play Your Best
    • Instruction
    • Golf Rules
  • Magazine
    • Read past issues
    • Mailing List
  • Advertise With Us
 logo
Lost your password?
  • News
    • Opinion
    • Tournaments
      • Emirates Australian Open
      • PGA Championship
      • The Open Championship
      • U.S. Open
      • The Masters
      • 2020 Olympics
    • Video
  • Equipment
    • Accessories
    • Balls
    • Drivers
    • Fairway Woods
    • Hybrids
    • Irons
    • Putters
    • Wedges
    • Fashion
      • Autumn / Winter
      • Spring / Summer
  • Travel
    • New Zealand
    • Australia
    • International
  • Top 50 Courses
  • Play Your Best
    • Instruction
    • Golf Rules
  • Magazine
    • Read past issues
    • Mailing List
  • Advertise With Us
Putting

Tommy Fleetwood: Confident Putting

Tommy FleetwoodJuly 10, 2020
Instruction

So much of being successful on the greens is what you do before you take the putter back. That’s why Golf Digest asked me to share my pre-putt routine. I’ll also talk to you a bit about my technique, but there are so many styles of grips, stances and strokes, what seems to matter most is having a consistent and effective approach to green-reading.

I use a method called Aim Point. It’s a little complicated to explain how it works in a short article, so I’ll give you a basic understanding of how I figure out the speed and break on every putt. When I step on the green, I use my eyes and feet to detect slope. I’ll walk around the hole, then I’ll get low to the ground – not Spiderman low like Camilo Villegas – but low enough to see which way the ball is going to move.

But sometimes your eyes can fool you, which is why I try to confirm what I see with my feet. I want to feel where the weight is in my feet; that’s the direction the ball will roll.

Once I have a line picked, I stand behind the line and visualise the ball tracking to the hole on that path. I see the ball moving in real time, which helps me know how big a stroke I need to make. Then I’ll stand to the side of the line I’ve chosen and make a couple of practice strokes while visualising the ball rolling to the cup. That last bit, standing astride, gives me a nice perception of what’s about to happen. That’s important because if you just visualise behind the ball, things will look off when you set up to putt.

Like most pros, I use a line on my ball to match the line I want the ball to roll on. I set up in a neutral stance, everything as square to the line as possible. It might not be perfect, but it’s never that far off, so don’t worry too much about it. More important is to get the ball started on the line you’ve chosen. I’ll talk more on that in a second.

The last thing is to make a stroke in which the putterhead does the work. That means the length of the stroke is equal on both sides. I try not to vary effort, just length of stroke. I also like to feel free. It’s important to have as few moving parts as possible, but you don’t want to be too rigid. For example, I’ll keep my head down past impact in the stroke, but I don’t resist it pivoting towards the hole.

One more thing I want to say about putting is, you have to be confident. You’re not always going to read the putt right, and you’re not always going to hit it with the proper speed. But if you address the ball strongly believing in what you’re about to do, it makes a difference in execution. So pick a line, judge the speed, and hit the putt. No second-guessing.

 

Tommy Fleetwood spoke with Ron Kaspriske

Read on for more instruction from New Zealand Golf Digest

InstructionNew Zealand Golf DigestPuttingPutting InstructionTommy Fleetwood

Related Posts

  • Danny Willett pulls out an emotional win in Dubai

    Ryan HerringtonNovember 19, 2018
  • Tiger Woods threatens legal action over nude pics

    Joel Beall, Tim RosaforteAugust 24, 2017
  • The US Open’s 18-hole playoff dies a not-so-sudden death

    Dave ShedloskiFebruary 27, 2018
  • Masters Souvenirs

    A Tradition Unlike Any Other

    R Kikuo JohnsonApril 3, 2018
  • With two wins in 13 starts, meet the European Tour’s latest prodigy

    John HugganFebruary 5, 2018
  • 2018 US Open: Tiger Woods has come far enough he can afford to be greedy

    Brian WackerJune 13, 2018
  • Wade Ormsby claims first European Tour title after 264 starts

    Ryan HerringtonNovember 27, 2017
  • Butch Harmon: Take The Easy Way Out

    August 27, 2015
Facebook 12,989Fans
Twitter 10Followers
Instagram 661Followers

Newsletter Signup

This form needs Javascript to display, which your browser doesn’t support. Sign up here instead

Latest Posts

Daniel Berger’s boat music video reminds us that life as a PGA Tour star is good

January 28, 2021

Tasmania is getting another new course – and it promises to be jaw-droppingly good!

January 28, 2021

Social media

Search

Newsletter

This form needs Javascript to display, which your browser doesn’t support. Sign up here instead

  • Subscribe
  • Advertise With Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • GolfDigest.com