How to release the putter and sink putts like a tour pro

Have you ever wondered why some tour pros make more putts than others, even though their putting strokes look similar? Have you ever hit a putt that looks like it’s not going to get to the hole but just keeps rolling? Many golf experts and tv announcers talk about “releasing” the putter, but what does that really mean?

According to the dictionary, the word “release” can mean one of two things:

1. Allow or enable to escape from confinement; set free.  
2. Allow to move, act, or flow freely.

As we dive into the biomechanics of putting, you will notice that these definitions are spot on.

At this year’s Masters, one of the announcers predicted that the golfer who would win would make the majority of their 5 to 10-foot putts. Throughout the tournament, Patrick Reed made almost every putt within 10 feet for either par or birdie. Rickie Fowler and Jon Rahm also made many putts, and all three golfers release the putter well.

A friend of mine who designs putters for top equipment companies says that scientific experiments have been conducted to examine factors that create the best ball roll when putting. These experiments determined that constant rhythm during the backstroke and forward stroke with the putter shifting from slightly open to slightly closed through impact created ideal roll.  Both deceleration, which closes the face too early, and acceleration through impact, which causes the face to stay slightly open, were not as effective as constant speed through impact. This flies in the face of what many golfers believe to be true, that accelerating the putter will result in a better putt. In fact, the opposite is true. In this same study, researchers also learned that the putter should hit the ball with a very slight (not drastic) upward stroke.

Luke Donald, who had the best putting statistics on the PGA tour for several years in a row, exemplifies what you will see in the video. His stroke was fairly straight on the backstroke, fairly straight through on the forward stroke until impact, and then curved slightly to the left of the line of the putt. I believe that this is the most efficient, easiest and biomechanically simplest way to putt.

In order to achieve the special roll that is produced by a good release, the putter face must go from slightly open just before impact to slightly closed just after impact. This has the effect of grabbing the ball instead of a glancing blow. The ball has contact with the putter face for a longer amount of time which fosters more consistent distance control.

There are 20 muscles in the forearm that can cause the wrist to move in many ways. Therefore, trying to close the putter face by actively moving these muscles is very difficult to time properly. However, if gripped properly, and forward motion of the arms stops just before impact, the putter will swing forward on its own and the face will close through impact if the left wrist remains flexible. At which point the putter face will go from slightly open to slightly closed, as you will see in the video. However, if the left wrist remains firm, the face will remain open unless the muscles of the forearm act to close the face. This is much more difficult to achieve than simply stopping the forward movement of the arms.

Do you want to make more putts? Allow your putter to escape from confinement. Set it free through impact. I’ll show you how. Watch the video and learn today how you can easily make more putts.