If you've heard golfers talking about PELS on the putting green and felt a little lost, you're not alone. PELS is a simple yet incredibly powerful acronym that breaks down the fundamentals of great putting into four core concepts: Posture, Eye Position, Line, and Speed. We are going to walk through each element, providing straightforward, actionable advice that will help you build a reliable putting routine, eliminate those frustrating three-putts, and walk onto every green with a renewed sense of confidence.
Think of PELS as a mental checklist for your putting stroke. So much of good golf comes down to creating repeatable processes, and nowhere is that more true than on the green. When a 5-footer to save par feels like a 50-footer, having a structured routine to fall back on can be the difference between a make and a frustrating miss. PELS gives you that structure.
Each component of PELS builds on the last, creating a solid foundation for consistency.
By focusing on these four pillars, you stop worrying about complex mechanics and start focusing on the things that actually get the ball in the hole. It's about taking the guesswork out of putting and replacing it with a dependable system.
Let's look at each part of the PELS framework in detail. I'll provide you with simple drills and feels to help you implement each concept into your game starting today.
Your putting posture is the bedrock of your stroke. An unstable or inconsistent setup leads to an inconsistent stroke path and strike. The goal is to create a position that is balanced, relaxed, and allows your arms and shoulders to swing the putter freely without any extra body movement.
A Quick Tip: Once you're set, you should feel calm. If there's tension in your arms, grip, or shoulders, take a deep breath and relax. Tension is the enemy of a smooth putting stroke. The setup might feel odd at first, especially the hip hinge, but trust the process. You're creating an athletic stance that promotes consistency.
Where your eyes are in relation to the golf ball directly influences how you perceive the putting line. If your eyes are too far inside the ball (closer to your feet), you'll tend to see the line as being more to the right and may pull the putt. If your eyes are too far outside the line (past the ball), you'll see the line as more to the left and may push the putt. The traditional wisdom is to get your eyes directly over the ball, or just slightly inside the target line.
Getting this right gives you a true view of the target line. It makes aiming the putter face squarely a much easier task because you're not fighting a warped perception.
The "Line" component of PELS covers the entire process of reading a green, selecting your start line, and aligning your body and putter to that line. It’s about trust and commitment.
Once you are aligned, it's time to trust your read. Make a confident stroke toward your intermediate target and accept the result.
You’ve heard the pros say it: speed is king on the greens. Good speed gives a putt with a slightly off read a chance to catch a piece of the hole and fall in. It also ensures that your misses end up close to the cup, making your next putt a simple tap-in. Bad speed, however, has zero chance of going in and is the primary cause of three-putts.
Your goal on every first putt should be leaving the ball in a one-and-a-half-foot radius past the hole - what golfers call "dying at the hole." This pace gives it the best chance to drop.
Remember, your stroke length should control your distance. A longer putt requires a longer backswing and follow-through, not necessarily a harder a "hit." Think of a smooth, rocking motion with your shoulders, like a pendulum. A bigger rock sends the ball farther, a smaller rock sends it shorter.
Mastering the four elements of PELS provides a reliable blueprint for improvement on the greens. By building a routine around proper Posture, Eye Position, Line, and Speed, you take away the uncertainty that causes so many golfers to struggle. It gives you a consistent, repeatable process you can trust, especially when the pressure is on.
Building these skills takes practice, and sometimes you need quick validation on things like reading a complex green or choosing the right line. For those moments of doubt, especially with the 'L' and 'S' of PELS, we created a tool to provide instant support. When you’re faced with a tricky a double-breaking putt on the practice green, you can turn to our Caddie AI. It acts as your on-demand coach, offering simple advice so you're not left guessing. Our entire mission is to deliver the feedback you need, right when you need it most, helping you turn those frustrating three-putts into confident makes.
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