When it comes to putting, there aren’t many people better at it than Cameron Smith. During the 2024 LIV Golf season, Smith led all players with an individual putting average of 1.52 per hole, proving he’s a master with the flatstick in his hands.
While most mid-handicappers like you or I worry about trying to limit three-putts, the 2022 Open champion is out here avoiding two-putts.
Sure, there’s a lot that goes into Smith’s wizardry on the putting surface, but in a video posted on LIV Golf’s YouTube channel, he talks through his go-to and trusted routine that he uses prior to each round. Check out his tips below.
Try Cameron Smith’s pre-round routine to dial in your putting
One thing that Smith always seems to avoid before a round? Rushing. So if you’re a player who shows up to a tee time just minutes before hitting your first shot of the day, Smith’s pre-round routine just won’t work for you.
In fact, Smith says he shows up to the practice green about 90 minutes before he’s scheduled to start his round — which goes to show how focused he is on putting technique.
After settling in on his technique, Smith uses a popular training aid to get things going, dropping down a putting mirror to help him consistently align his eyes, body and clubface.
“First, I’ll get on the mirror and hit 20 to 30 balls, but it all sort of depends on how comfortable I’m feeling. Seeing the balls go in is also a really important part,” he says. “From there, I’ll just make a 5- or 6-foot circle with some balls around the hole, going clockwise or counterclockwise to reiterate what we [previously] did on the mirror.
“Just making sure that everything feels really comfy and actually seeing some putts with some break go into the hole.”
But Smith admits that, despite trying to build a consistent setup with the putting mirror, things can change.
“Whatever I felt over there on the mirror is exactly what I’m trying to feel [on these 5-to-6-foot putts],” he says. “But, even for me, that does change day-to-day sometimes — depending on how the body’s feeling.”
After he’s done getting an idea for the speed and break on shorter putts, Smith stretches his distances farther back, using this time to see how the ball’s rolling on the greens — since a course presents a different challenge each time.
“From there, we might go out to 10 or 15 feet to hit some putts, and then I might go hit some really long putts, starting at 30 feet and making my way up to 80 or 90 feet,” he says. “It just really depends on what the golf course is going to give you out there, [and this type of practice] generally gives me an idea. Then I just head to the range and get ready for the round.”
