Marc Leishman’s putting routine is remarkably simple

You might think that every tour pro goes through a rigorous putting examination before every round they play.

Watch Hideki Matsuyama for example and you’ll see the former Masters champion using tee pegs, coins, string and various other training aids to try and dial in his putter.

While that might work for Matsuyama, other tour pros sit at the opposite end of the spectrum. Marc Leishman is one of them.

• Keep connection with a driving range basket

The Australian takes a very different, more straightforward, approach to his putting.

The six-time PGA Tour winner who currently plays on the LIV Golf League told bunkered.co.uk he isn’t interested in anything other than where he strikes his putts and picking a small target.

“Making sure you hit the centre, the middle of the putter, for me, is huge,” he said.

“If you hit the middle of the putter, not a whole lot can go wrong. Then, it’s all about having a small target.

“If you aim small, you’re going to miss small. Those are pretty much the only two things I work on.”

Seem too simple to be true? We thought so as well, but that really is all he works on with the putter.

•Do this stretch before your round for a better first hole

“I feel like if you’re hitting the middle of the face every time, you’re probably not going to miss many short putts. That’s where you can really gain confidence with the putter.

“If you start missing short ones, then you’re probably going to lose that feel and confidence. I try and keep it really simple and try and have a clear mind so I can just get to it.”

Before he gets out on the golf course, Leishman likes to hit lots of short and straight putts. If they go left, he knows he’s pulling it and if they go right, he knows he’s pushing it.

“I don’t want to rely on reading the break on a green before the round,” he explained.

• Are you standing too far away from the ball?

“If you can fine tune your stroke on the putting green, it means you can focus on holing putts when you’re on the course.”

In a world where lots of golfers obsess over technique, stroke arc and everything else, sometimes it pays to be like Marc Leishman and to keep it simple.

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor