Brad Faxon, one of the best putters of all time, has holed lots of putts over the course of his career. And he knows what any good putter knows: That often, it’s your actions before you even hit the ball which will determine whether your ball will end up in the hole or not.
A good routine is one that settles the mind and body before executing the precise art of putting. A series of movements that should help golfers feel comfortable, confident, and ingrain a specific feeling they can use for the putt they’re about to hit. And all in a timely manner that doesn’t disrupt your flow.
If you’re wondering what a routine like that looks like to potentially adopt for yourself, Faxon shares a worm’s-eye view of his five-step process below.
Brad Faxon’s putting routine
- First, he reads the putt, making sure to track the entire line of the putt.
- After he reads the putt, Faxon returns his ball to his marker and, using the line on his golf ball, aims it where he wants to start the ball on his intended break line.
- In Faxon’s words, then he does one “exaggerated” practice stroke, designed to “help with freedom and flow.”
- Now comes the time to take your address position. The key thing here, Faxon says, is making sure you’re in “continuous motion” to relieve nervous energy.
- And all that’s left is to hit the putt.
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Luke Kerr-Dineen
Golf.com Contributor
Luke Kerr-Dineen is the Game Improvement Editor at GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com. In his role he oversees the brand’s game improvement content spanning instruction, equipment, health and fitness, across all of GOLF’s multimedia platforms.
An alumni of the International Junior Golf Academy and the University of South Carolina–Beaufort golf team, where he helped them to No. 1 in the national NAIA rankings, Luke moved to New York in 2012 to pursue his Masters degree in Journalism from Columbia University. His work has also appeared in USA Today, Golf Digest, Newsweek and The Daily Beast.
