Last month, I was down in Florida and had 25 on the front…25 putts, that is…
It’s a fact: The putter is the most-used club in the bag. By improving your putting and reducing the number of putts per round, it’s low-hanging fruit– a way to dramatically improve your score.
In total, I shot 45 total on that nine, so over half my strokes were putts. Imagine being able to shave off even just two or three strokes per round. That’s the difference between shooting in the 90s or 80s.
My golfing resolution for 2022 was simple: improve my putting. Here are just a few of the tools that I’ve tested out so far:
Perfect Practice Putting Mat
First of all, with most of my practice happening indoors over the winter, I needed to find a putting surface to practice on. The Perfect Practice Putting Mat is the official putting mat of Dustin Johnson who has averaged 28 putts per round so far during the 2021-22 PGA season, so I figured if it’s good enough for DJ, it’s got to be great for me.
- PROS: While the mat retails at a little higher price point than most of its competitors, it does have some unique features. It uses “Crystal Velvet Trueroll Technology,” the putts roll at a 10-14 on the stimpmeter speed. It’s also long, so I love that you can practice many different lengths of putts on it. You can roll up the mat and disassemble the unit when not in use. Other features I like include the two different hole sizes as well as the auto ball return.
- CONS: While the length is a plus, at 9’6,” I did have a little trouble finding a spot for it in my home, but I do appreciate that it rolls up when not in use. However, I think Perfect Practice could improve the storage a little bit more, perhaps by including a pull-out drawer beneath the unit where the tracks of the ball return could be stored. In the next version, I’d also like to see them figure out a better way to keep the mat from rolling in on itself if it is stored more often than displayed.
Perfect Practice Putting Alignment Mirror
Mirror, mirror on the floor, can you help lower my score? You might think you have your eye over the ball or that you’re making a straight-back, straight-through pendulum stroke… but are you really?
- PROS: This reflective, unbreakable mirror shows you where your eyes are relative to both the golf ball and the putter face, with a slot for the ball and alignment lines. It’s immediate feedback for the user and you don’t need a coach to help you. The mirror has holes where you can attach to a green with tees or small stakes; it also comes with a travel case and, of course, works well with the Perfect Practice mat. Bonus: In a pinch, you can use it to fix your hair.
- CONS: If you use more of an arced stroke, the lines won’t really help you, but it’s still useful for getting your head in the right spot.
The Putting Stick
Perfect for indoor or outdoor use, the Putting Stick aids with putter speed, target path, and eyeline tracking to the hole It gives you feedback when your backswing is too long and it will show your stroke accuracy or if your stroke is causing the ball to decelerate.
- PROS: This company was gracious enough to provide me with a special pink-colored Putting Stick and put my name on it, so I immediately loved the personalized aspect. It has an adjustable back-swing stop to help control your swing, an easy-load ball ramp to identify stroke accuracy at impact and a built-in eye-alignment mirror with a slotted base plate that slips onto the end of the stick.
- CONS: The stick has a built-in level and you really need to find a perfectly flat surface for the stick, otherwise the tool won’t work the way it is intended. It’s also a very slick surface, and any off-center hits will roll off to the side. It doesn’t help with distance feel and you don’t get feedback insofar as holing putts from this device, but it will help with your alignment and the actual mechanics of the stroke.
Better Stikz
Better Stikz is a patent-pending system that aims to take the guesswork out of…aiming. It takes traditional alignment sticks and makes them simple and easy to use with string, magnets, and clips that help you set up perfectly parallel and on target each time. They have developed a putting attachment with gates and a feedback cord to make these already versatile sticks even more useful for your game.
- PROS: This system can be used with every club in the bag, from driver to putter and everything in between. It also comes with a third fiberglass stick that can stick in the ground for numerous drills and practice games. If you already have alignment sticks, the putting attachment can be purchased separately and will work on any 5/16″ stick. It includes two different size putting gates: 70mm and 50mm. Because this system allows you to work on more than just putting, it may be more appealing than some of the putting-only aids out there.
- CONS: There are lots of little pieces, especially with the putting attachment and although the product says it makes things a snap with perfect alignment every time, I’m still paranoid with the “am I doing this right?” factor. Sometimes I’m paralyzed with practice, not knowing if I’m practicing correctly and therefore erring on the side of not practicing at all for fear of ingraining bad habits.
Train Your Aim
This small plastic device attaches directly to the putter shaft to help align the putter face to the target line and helps get your eyes over the ball.
- PROS: It’s simple, small, and extremely lightweight. It’s also relatively inexpensive compared to other alignment tools.
- CONS: Sometimes, you get what you pay for. This device feels very old-school compared to many of the others. I’d personally rather have a mirror and/or level to help me with my posture and alignment.
Laser Optics v.III
This device, made by Wright Putting Dynamics, is a high-powered green laser that projects a solid line and can be used for the start line, stroke accuracy, and visualization training. Laser Optics is used in all GOLFTEC golf improvement retail locations as well as by instructors in all PGA TOUR Superstores.
- PROS: This tool allows an instructor/caddie/etc. to measure putter alignment under normal visual conditions with the player’s putter and golf ball. It is a simple design with nothing attached to the putter to disrupt or influence visual alignment. It includes a tripod, wireless remote control, USB charging, and a carrying case.
- CONS: The laser retails for $139, making it one of the more expensive training aids on the market; however, its simplicity makes it worth it.
Alignment Ball Mark
For out on the course, I picked up this little guy at the PGA Show last month. It allows you to read the putt while aligning and, in case you’re wondering, it’s also legal to use under the current rules of golf.
- PROS: You can mark your ball traditionally using this tool and then adjust the alignment component on the mark using your putter to aim at your desired point. You can then line up your ball to the tool when placing your ball back on the green.
- CONS: No cons here. It’s a simple device that serves as a golf ball marker if nothing else!
The Putting Arc:
Many people believe that putting stroke is an arc, as opposed to a straight back, straight through motion. The new Putting Arc MS-3D allows you to use the toe and heel of the putter for training, helping you to develop a perfect stroke that’s based on the natural movement of the body and the mathematics behind the ellipse.
- PROS: This device helps you learn the correct path for the putter and relies on muscle memory to help you develop a solid, repeatable stroke. It also includes an adjustable mirror for feedback on the position of the head and shoulders. The company also makes a smaller, portable version as well as some additional training aids.
- CONS: This device won’t help you if you use a straighter stroke. It also leaves room for error if the user practices incorrectly, such as by misaligning yourself or using your hands instead of your shoulders.
Their website and marketing materials are also a bit of a deterent. The lengthy descriptions, videos, and mentions of Apollonius of Perga can be a little intimidating to someone who just wants to get a little white ball into a cup a bit more frequently, but try to look past all of that because, at its core, this is a simple product.
There are probably hundreds of other tools to help improve your putt on the market, but these are the ones I’m starting with for now. I’d love to hear from you: What tips/gadgets have you found successful in helping with your putting? Do you have a training aid that you want me to review? Let’s get in touch. I’ll take all the help I can get.
In the meantime, I’ll keep practicing and report back once the greens have finally thawed.
