PGA Tour pro shares 3 genius putting tips

To be a good putter, you need three qualities in your game. While you need to be able to match speed with pace, if you can’t read a green, then you’re already in bother.

While hitting putts on line and with a more consistent roll can be improved through technique, learning to read a green can be challenging.

To some, it comes naturally but to others, it’s a struggle.

If you’re in the latter camp, then you’ll want to hear what Maverick McNealy had to say in a recent appearance on the First Cut Podcast from CBS.

McNealy, who is a qualified pilot and largely accepted as one of the smartest players on the PGA Tour, shared some genius pieces of advice on how to read slopes more accurately on the greens.

Get Low

The first tip might seem obvious, but it’s something we all neglect. McNealy uses the analogy of reading a book. You face the pages towards you, not away from you. You should do the same for the line of a putt.

“Even if you’re just playing quickly, just walk on the low side and you’ll get your information there. You can see it much better.”

Use water to your advantage

We’ve all heard of the trick about envisioning how water will roll on a putting surface, but McNealy has something that most of us will never have considered.

He explains that he’s always done well on golf courses by the water. Now we know why.

• Maverick McNealy: Copy this to control your irons

• Driver or 3-wood off the tee? Shot Scope has the answer

The 29-year-old explains that he uses the horizon line on the water as a spirit level, to compare to the putting surface.

“A lot of those ocean courses have a gentle slope towards the ocean,” he says. “That water is dead flat, so I use that as my reference. It shows me how that green is pitched.”

Bet you never thought of that, huh?

Get your read from over the ball

How often do you stand over a putt and think that you now don’t trust the read you took from behind the ball. That’s the last thing we need on the course as it can lead to serious indecision. So, the 2024 RSM Classic champion has an effective way to combat that.

McNealy says he reads putts best when he’s standing over them. That doesn’t mean you pick a point just before you pull the trigger, instead you should stand over your marker before you put the ball down, in order to get a feel.

“I go up to my coin and stand over it. I’ve trained my eyes to see putts this way. I read putts better while standing over them than any other way.”

He also explains that he has a drill where he uses spots on the practice green to visualise the line of putts while he’s standing over the ball. That allows his eyes to see breaks better while he’s reading them in tournaments.

There you have it. Next time you’re on the course and you’re guessing where your putt is going to break, try one of these.

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