Putting ; Feel or Technique?

Basics for the tournament golfer may look like this: Hushed whisper...

1. You start from behind the hole, walking around and looking at your putt from a few feet behind the hole gives you a better perspective on what’s going to happen.

2. Evaluate left-to-right break. While you’re behind the hole take a look at the turf on both sides of the cup. Which side is higher? Reading the left to right slope at the hole will give you a great idea of how your putt will break when it begins to slow down.

3. Evaluate uphill-downhill break. As you are walking back towards your ball stop about half way and evaluate the slope of the green between your ball and the cup. Is the hole above your ball? Below your ball? Even with it?

4. Commit to your line. Stand behind your ball, choose your final line, and don’t second guess yourself. Make a confident stroke and focus on executing your plan.

5. Evaluate your results. If you sink your putt it’s time for a fist pump, but if you miss all is not lost. Take a moment to note how your putt broke and make any mental adjustments necessary to improve

Only you can decide what works for you, but the more you do should settle you and enable you to make putts. A method for the sake of having a method is a complete waste of time, there must be a benefit.  

While what was outplayed above has great stuff, don't feel hamstrung to do it if it doesn't feel right to you. Next time you are out, grab a few balls drop them on the green in different locations and just try to determine the right length and break of the putt by getting the feel of it when you stroke the ball. You may find that for you just simply feeling the putt after basic green reading and starting the ball on the right line may cut strokes off your score and time to boot!

Now you can take one ball, and a ball marker and go through your your own routine of placing the marker, reading the green, taking your brush strokes and putting from say 15 ft until the ball goes in the hole to re-create the 'feeling' of an actual putt in a round of golf. Do that a few times to end your session, the emphasis still being on feeling the stroke. Enjoy!