Uphill and downhill putts are a result of sloping turf but side to side sloping means the ball wants to move sideways on its way to the hole. Your ability to read the “break” or slope is a key to how well you putt. It is obvious that a sharper slope causes more break than a smaller one.

This is called reading the green and should be done as you move towards the next shot. As you walk towards the green begin to notice the overall slope of the land and any features such as hills, bodies of water and valleys. These are items that will come into play as you plan your next shot. When you reach the ball, make a quick decision of what you think the ball will do.

Now take a little time (a few seconds) checking from the ball to the hole, and maybe from the hole to the ball, this is how you will finalize the quick decision you made earlier. This can be done while other players are setting up for their shots; this allows you to be ready when your shot comes up.

After deciding how a putt will break think about how much it is going to break, will it make a right to left move, and how many inches you think it will move. You will learn how to do this effectively as you play, as in all other situations, experience is the best teacher.

Charging the hole, or stroking a little harder has other advantages; it allows you to play less break, (the slope of the green) and it is much easier to hit a solid putt straight than to try to curve it with any kind of exactness. The uphill will also keep the ball from rolling to far if you miss the shot. If you do miss the shot, watch how the ball rolls past the hole, it will help you determine the correct stroke to use when you have to putt it back again.

Don’t get carried away on uphill strokes and allow your body and head to get involved, continue to
use your steady smooth strokes that you have practiced so much on, stick to your routine. Generate the extra power you will need for an uphill shot by increasing the back and through swing.

If your body tends to get involved with the stroke, widen your stance slightly, and keep your eye on the ball until it has been hit. Do not create tension in your back and neck as this will throw off your swing. Think about your stroke and let the rocking of your shoulders make the stroke what you want it to be.

If necessary you can grip the putter higher, or closer to the end, it lengthens your putter which will produce more power in the same stroke. Remember to stand a little higher and make a few practice strokes so you dont hit the green with the
putter.

*Aligning the body, the ideal body alignment aims all of your body, feet, knees, hips, forearms and shoulders parallel to the target line.

*Aligning the ball, if the ball is aligned to far forward, it can cause you to hit it while the putter is swinging up, causing the ball to leave the green.

*Aligning the putter face – according to some professionals if your putter alignment is off by 10 degrees, and your putt is 20 feet, you will miss the hole by 3 feet. That sounds like aligning the putter is pretty important!

Contact should be made with the ball at the bottom of the stroke for putting, at the point where the putter head is horizontal to the ground. In the ideal stance this is directly beneath the center of your stance. The center of your stance should be directly below your breastbone.

To determine your low point, try some practice swings, the point where the putter brushes the grass is your low point. It may be further back if you put more weight on your back foot or further forward if you lean towards your target. Your ball should be placed slightly in front of your low point, this is necessary because each persons low point is different.

The direction your putt is off may be caused due to the fact that your ball is positioned improperly to your low point. If you continue to push puts right, try moving your ball slightly forward. If you pull your puts to the left, try moving your ball back slightly in your stance.

Placing the ball to far forward is the most common mistake golfers make. This makes it easier for them to see their shot, but gives the shot less power than it should have.

Golfer Dave Pelz has developed a shot called the “Chiputt”, this shot combines the best of the chip and putt qualities. Standing tall, nearly straight, is one of the usual techniques called for in chipping. This makes it easy to judge distance and see the hole while getting a sense of line for the shot. It allows a smooth, long swing which sends the ball the correct distance. Chip shots are made from the back of your stance, causing the ball to come off low and with power.

The chiputt starts with a tall stance, and doing the same thing with it makes rolling the ball a long distance easier. Hold your putter as you would when making a ship shot. Don’t crouch as in a putting stance, put feet together with a small space between them, you aim left of the hole.

Place the ball halfway between the ankles, since your feet are closer together, its is back in your stance, which is behind your breastbone. Leading the clubhead with your hands, make a long, rhythmic stroke into the ball. You may want to allow the body to turn slightly during long putts to maintain a natural rhythm.

As with any new shot in golf, practice it a lot before putting it to use in your game, you will find that it is quite effective once you have learned its use. This is also a great shot when you are off the green with short grass, fairway and putting surface the only thing between you and the hole.

A green that is saturated can actually prevent a ball from moving at all, since the water creates a great deal of resistance by adding weight to the ball. If the green is saturated you can damage it, so it is wiser to close up shop and play at a later time, when the greens are dryer.

Dew is the exception to water on the green; the ball tends to skid on the thin layer of moisture which makes the ball roll faster and causes more break. Early in the morning when dew is on the green, you will putt faster for the first few holes, but near the end of the game, when the dew has burned off, you will need to remember that the ball will roll differently.

Dew or water on the green can cause a lot of problems with your distance control, a little water (or dew) can cause the ball to skid and roll farther and faster. A little more water and your putts can be slowed significantly if not stopped completely.

There are several possibilities to correct this problem, but if you play golf, you will need to learn at some point how water on the grass will affect your shots. If possible, go to a practice green after the rain (be sure to ask if it is open) and try these different techniques:

*Getting a little more power out of your stroke

*Holding higher on the grip, but make sure to stand straighter

*Move the position of the ball in your stance

*Use a longer backstroke to get more power

When you get to the practice green, putt a few balls to different locations, try to find different breaking puts, grain condition and any other variety of shots you may find. If you follow these simple pointers, you may find yourself more comfortable playing golf on a wet course.

The position of your hands has a direct effect on the position of the putter, therefore it has a direct relation to the putt you make. Regardless of the fact that putting allows for a great deal of individuality, there are certain fundamentals that you must follow:

*The palms of both hands must be parallel to each other. This makes it possible to accurately judge the position of the putter face.

*Your thumbs should lay down the top of the shaft, one above the other. Putters frequently have flat tops, allowing this positioning to be easy. Putting the thumbs on the top of the shaft puts control of the putt in the fingers, taking it away from the thumbs.

*Your palms should press on the sides of the club, with your fingers wrapped around it, it gives the control of the feel to your fingers and allows your palms to control the power of your stroke.

*Your hands need to be linked, this keeps them working as one unit rather than fighting each other, when your hands dont work together, your shot wont come out.

Using these fundamentals as a unit, you can be sure of little or no movement during your stroke, which allows the putter to return to the correct hitting position on its own.

Keeping your wrists firm controls the stroke with the larger muscles of the arms rather than the smaller less stable muscles of the hands and wrists.

While putting you should feel very little with the fingers, they simply keep the face of the putter in place.

The palms of your hands should have the most feeling as they are pushing the butter through on a straight line to the face of the club.