I'm much better off the tee. I'm not a great putter. I do not have a good short game.
Keep close count of your nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey, and never concede a putt.
When Sam Snead was asked how to putt, he said, 'Putt for one hundred dollars'.
Ninety percent of putts that are short, don't go in.
Where I play, the greens always break toward the bar.
Bets lengthen putts and shorten drives.
I don't have any big secret about putting. Just hit at it. It's either going to miss or go in.
My putting strategy is simple: If you're not making putts, don't be afraid to change your technique.
You have to watch your handicap. My son Steve says, "Never make a putt you don't have to."
On short courses I can still play good, even with my added length.
Unless it's a dead-straight short putt, you should focus on a spot somewhere along the line you want to roll the ball on.
I would agree to some extent that on the Champions Tour that there is a greater premium on putting than the regular tour because of the course setups.
Look at the putt from behind the hole. Everyday players almost never do this. They should! Your eyes will take in more information about the slope. Sometimes you'll find that your initial read was incorrect.
I do like to point out the trick putts, the ones that look like they go one way but actually go another. I think the audience likes to know when a putt looks like it's two inches outside left, but it's actually two inches outside right.
I have much less confidence on the greens than I do on the court. Everybody asks like if putting is like shooting free throws. Like that six-footer for par or something like that. It has a very similar kind of mindset.
For the average player, most three-putts happen because of a poorly judged first putt from long range.
I've always been a pretty good ball-striker, I've relied on my ball-striking in my whole career, my athletic ability. But the short game and putting has kind of held me back in majors.
A pre-putt routine helps you stay nice and relaxed so you can make the best stroke possible.
