Cameron Smith’s win at the 2022 Players Championship was, above all, a putting masterclass. Sure, his aggressive approach into 17 green grabbed headlines, but ultimately, it was his precision on the greens that clinched his victory.
The stats from that week only make his dominance on the greens even more evident. Throughout the tournament, Smith gained 11.5 strokes on the field with his putter alone. In the final round, he needed just 24 putts to get the job done.
But it wasn’t simply a hot week for Smith. Performances like that are built over time — through thousands of hours refining a stroke, sharpening green-reading skills, and for Smith, leaning on a key principle that any golfer can use to become more effective on the greens: visualization.
How Cam Smith uses visualization on the green
Last August at LIV Golf Chicago, Smith walked us through his putting routine. At first, it seemed like a straightforward three-step process. But as he explained each piece, it became clear that visualization is the common thread that ties everything together.
Here’s how his routine breaks down:
Step 1. Smith starts by setting his putter face to where he wants to aim
Step 2. Next, he sets up his body.
Step 3. Finally, Smith glances at the line and hole a few times, then takes a last look where he visualizes the ball rolling over the front of the cup.
While it’s simple on the surface, there’s more happening than meets the eye. Throughout his entire process, Smith constantly pictures how the ball will roll along the line he’s selected and react to the green’s conditions. And for him, visualization begins the moment he starts his pre-shot routine.
“When I’m setting my putter, I like to see the ball kind of traveling along the line,” Smith says, “And then when I set my body, my focus kind of goes towards the ball rolling into the front [of the cup].”
Where everything really comes together is that final look before he pulls the trigger. In fact, it seems to be the most important part of his routine.
During this last glance, the mental image becomes fully defined—even acting as a signal that he’s ready to go. With the line and speed clearly visualized, he’s able to take the club back with complete confidence.
“This last look, I’m really seeing the ball kind of roll over the front, and then come back and set and go,” he says.
It makes sense that Smith is such a good putter, afterall, he’s already “seen” the putt go in before he even takes the putter back.
It’s a lesson that amateur players at any level can learn from. By developing a consistent routine and taking the time to visualize each putt, you can build confidence and turn a good read into a great putt—before the ball ever leaves the face.
