Putting Tips -Is putting a science or is it art?

Putting is a game within a game and for most of us it is an area which we could improve.

Over the 25 years I have been playing golf I have experimented a lot with my putting, both in terms of technique and equipment. ( I have probably owned over 30 different putter's.)

So here is my Top 10 List of the things I have learned about putting ranked in order of importance with 1 being the most important:

No:10 - 10, 10, 4 is a good putting template

No:9 - Most of us under read our putts, read more break.

No:8 - Distance is more important than direction. To simplify the thought process read the break and then choose a middle spot between the ball and the hole you are aiming at. This spot can be anything that helps you focus - a spec of sand, a divot mark, a discolored strand of grass. Select something that you can see or putt to, where you see the apex of the putt as the point where the ball will start breaking.

No:7 -  The clubface is the most important factor in technique

No:6 - Read putts from the low side, and don't make a practice stroke. Speedy breaks can be a huge putting challenge. Some courses are built with severe slopes.

No:5 - Keep the putter in a striaght line with your left arm going through the ball. How you finish your swing, whether displaying a show for the crowd or silently ending your stroke, you should never sacrifice a solid follow-through.

No:4 - Use a forward press

No:3 - Add loft to the putter 4 degree's of loft is good.

No:2 - Swing the putter along the heel line, not square to the target line.

A lot of confusion exists about how the putter should swing back. My preference is to swing the putter open and closed in relation to the target line, whilst staying square to the arc.

Because the handle of the putter goes off at an angle from the head, (unlike a croquet mallet,) it cannot swing straight back and straight through.

No:1 - The eyes need to be positioned behind and inside the target line not over the ball.