How To Putt From The First Cut

Putting from the fringe of the green can get a little tricky if you don’t do it right. This week, Ernie Els walks us through putting from the first cut.

“Here’s a situation that happens a lot on courses with fast, sloping greens and probably several times at your home club too. The ball has just come to rest against the cut of the fringe that forms the edge of the green, making the ball difficult to get at in an orthodox way. Time for a touch of improvisation then.

Take your putter and hover the clubhead above the surface of the fringe grass, literally in mid-air. You might want to grip down on the putter an inch now that the putter head is an inch above the ground, just so your set-up feels more natural.

From an address position like this, you’re going to automatically hit the ball just above its equator just by making your regular, everyday putting stroke. This is essentially what you want, because it imparts lots of topspin and thus puts a nice smooth roll on the putt.

However, this does mean that you have to concentrate doubly hard on staying down throughout the stroke. Any lifting up, or peeking too soon, will cause you to top the ball completely. And if that happens, apart from being totally embarrassing, it’s unlikely the ball will make it even halfway to the hole. Also, don’t try to hit down into the impact because the ball will jump severely off the putter face, making it very difficult to judge speed.”

Thank you, Ernie!

This is a great situation to practice so you’re more confident when you find your ball on the first cut out on the course. We’re big fans of practicing your putting here at Bloodline Golf. The arrival of fall in many areas of the country signals the beginning of the end of the golf season. We’ve got you covered. Check out our new putting mat and keep your putting game in great shape no matter what the weather brings!