HOW TO ‘MASTER’ FAST GREENS

Augusta National is famous for the speed and slope of its putting surfaces. They’re definitely some of the most extreme we putt on all year. I’ve always enjoyed them and putted well there. Fast speeds and steep slopes mean more break, so you have to be more precise with your start line and distance control than on slower and flatter greens. Here are four of my favourite tips for negotiating slick putting surfaces.

I Trust yourself and stay natural

When I’m putting well I feel it’s more of an instinctive process and when I’m putting poorly, it’s too conscious: I’m working on my stroke; feeling the rotation of my putter; trying hard to line up the blade. Sometimes the harder you try on a putt, the more elusive it can be. It has to be visual, creative and you have to trust yourself.

2 See straight with the correct head position

Posture is really important. If you’re constantly changing where your head is, it will change how you see the ball and the line. If you’re too upright and your head is inside the ball, you might see the line too far left. If you’re crouched too far over and your head is outside the ball you might see the line too far right.

3 Good rhythm helps you square the face

Rhythm is often overlooked. If you’re too quick to the ball, you’ll typically leave the putter face open, but if you decelerate the right hand takes over and you miss left. Everything has to move together. Keep your eyes quiet, so you look at the back of the ball through impact to help you move everything together as one block.

4 Think ‘tick-tock’ for distance control

A great way to keep your speed constant is to think ‘tick-tock’ on the backswing and through-swing. That rhythm stays the same irrespective of the stroke’s length. We all have a slightly different natural rhythm – it just has to be consistent. That is how to control ball speed in putting.