The putting stroke is fundamentally a pendulum motion, primarily driven by the rocking of your shoulders. Instead of relying on the a full-body rotation like a regular golf swing, a a solid putting stroke isolates the upper body to create a simple, repeatable action. This article breaks down that core motion, explains what each part of your body should (and shouldn't) be doing, and gives you actionable drills to build a consistent putting stroke that holds up under pressure.
At its heart, the putting stroke is a simple action. The biggest mistake golfers make is trying to make it complicated. They involve too many moving parts, especially the small, twitchy muscles in the hands and wrists. When pressure mounts on a tricky 5-footer, those small muscles are the first ones to fail you. The key to consistency is to use the big, reliable muscles of your torso as the engine.
Imagine a classic grandfather clock. The pendulum swings back and forth rhythmically from a single, stable pivot point at the top. It doesn't wobble, it doesn't speed up or slow down erratically. Your putting stroke should feel the same.
When you power the stroke by simply rocking your shoulders, you remove the need for your hands and wrists to time everything perfectly. The motion becomes simpler, more repeatable, and far more dependable when you need it most.
This is where most golfers get it wrong. They believe they have to "hit" the ball with their hands or "flick" their wrists at impact to get the ball rolling. This is the fastest way to become an inconsistent putter.
The arms and hands are passive participants in a good putting stroke. Think of your arms as simple connectors. They link your hands (which are holding the putter) to your shoulders (which are providing the motion). They aren't supposed to swing on their own accord. If your shoulders rock, your arms and hands naturally go with them.
Your wrists should be even quieter. The goal is to maintain the same wrist angle you set at address throughout the entire stroke. When you break your wrists, two bad things happen:
To feel this, try this simple drill: Grab your putter and get into your setup. Place a ruler or a long paint stirrer against your lead forearm (the left arm for a right-handed golfer) so it also rests against the putter grip. Now, try to make a putting stroke. If your wrists break at all, the ruler will come away from your arm or the grip. You are forced to use your shoulders to rock the "arm-putter unit" back and through.
Unlike the full swing where your hips and legs power the rotation, in putting, the lower body's job is completely different: it must stay perfectly still.
Think of your lower body as the foundation of a building. If the foundation is shifting and moving, the structure above it will become unstable. Any swaying of your hips or excessive movement in your knees during the putting stroke will change the location of your pivot point (your sternum) and alter the low point of the putter's arc. This leads to frustratingly inconsistent contact - hitting the putt fat (hitting the ground first) or thin (hitting too high on the ball).
When you set up to a putt, your goal should be to create a stable, motionless base from your hips down. Feel your feet planted firmly on the ground. Lock in that stability, and then let your upper body do all the work.
Understanding the theory is great, but building the feel is what matters. Let's walk through the physical process of creating the pendulum putting stroke.
Your setup dictates what kind of motion you can make. A poor setup forces you into compensations.
The start of the stroke sets the tone for everything that follows. It needs to be smooth and controlled.
The forward motion should feel like a simple continuation of the backswing. It's the "tock" to your backswing's "tick."
A good finish is often a sign of a good stroke.
To help ingrain this shoulder-driven motion, practice is essential. Here are two effective drills you can use on the practice green.
1. The Gate Drill: For a Consistent Path
Find a straight 4-foot putt and place two tees in the ground just wider than your putter head, creating a "gate" about a foot in front of your ball. Place the ball, and then practice making strokes where the putter head swings cleanly through the gate on the follow-through without hitting either tee. This forces you to control the clubface and maintain a consistent path through impact.
2. The Right-Hand-Only Drill: For Better Feel
For a right-handed golfer, putting with only your right hand on the club is an outstanding drill to feel the natural release of the putter head. Your right hand guides the club, but your right shoulder rocking back and forth is what provides the power. It almost immediately eliminates any tendency to get "handsy" or manipulate the club. It teaches you to let the weight of the putter head do the work, helping you develop a smoother tempo and a true roll, especially under pressure.
The motion for putting in golf is beautifully simple: a pendulum swing powered by the gentle rocking of the shoulders, all built upon a stable and quiet lower body. By focusing on this core movement and eliminating unnecessary hand, wrist, and body action, you build a stroke that is far more repeatable and reliable, especially when the pressure is on.
Of course, understanding the correct motion is one thing, and feeling it in your own stroke is another. Translating that knowledge into real-world results can be tricky. If you ever find yourself struggling on the practice green or during a round, wondering why things aren't clicking, this is where we built Caddie AI to help. With our AI coach, you can ask for specific drills for your faults, analyze a video of your stroke, or get instant advice on your setup, helping you bridge the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it.
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