If you’re a fan of golf, you’re likely a fan of Padraig Harrington, who uses an infectious personality to engage with golfers of all abilities.
The three-time major champion might be known for freakishly bombing the golf ball off the tee at age 52, but Harrington’s still a pretty darn good all-around player, and his putting can still give him a chance to win against players half his age.
Since putting’s always the great equalizer in golf, Harrington’s here to help you improve in this key area. Sure, distance control is important, but if you don’t know where your line is, you won’t have any chance of leaving a putt close.
So what’s a simple (yet unorthodox) way to find your putting line? Harrington recently revealed his answer to our Michael Bamberger on GOLF’s Originals (and talked about a bunch of other topics, too), which you can see in the video below. (Ed. Note: The tip begins at the 5:42 mark in the video below.)
Try this putting hack from Padraig Harrington
In the video, Harrington rounds up some amateur golfers to show them what to look for on the green in order to effectively aim better while putting.
“See that over there [pointing to the ground], that’s pale. That’s downhill,” he says. “See the way that’s darker [pointing to a different spot on the green], that’s uphill.”
It might seem too simple to just check the shadow of the putting surface, but Harrington says it’s just one way to identify how the ball will roll. He also shares a little tip of the pros when it comes to how the grass changes over the course of a day.
“The low side of the cup will fray up during the day, so if you see a broken part of the hole, aim away from it,” he adds.
Next, Harrington discusses the importance of a putting routine, and how the end of it is more crucial than the beginning.
“The important thing in your routine is the end of it, not the start of it. Somebody getting obsessed with the first part of their routine is irrelevant,” he says. “I don’t like people standing over the ball, that’s the worst thing you can do — I want movement.
“But I have given up on the idea that I need exactly two waggles. I’d rather go when I feel like I’ve got a good look at the target and a good picture of the target.”
So if you struggle with putting and can’t quite get comfortable using the flatstick, taking the above advice from Harrington should help you improve. Whether that means using your eyes to see the light versus the dark shades on the surface, or understanding how to structure the best routine, hopefully your confidence will grow.
You can watch the full Originals episode with Padraig Harrington below, and get other great golf tips by following GOLF’s YouTube channel.
