Missing easy putts from 1-2 feet
Rachel Ellis
Updated on April 06, 2026
Hi
I'm after some advice on my putting. I'm playing off 11 but losing silly shots on putts from around 1-2 feet for some reason. I've worked on my putting and keeping my arms tucked in slightly more. But when playing in comps and having to hole out I tighten up on them putts and drag or push putts wide of hole! Can anyone help!? Grip lower down? Narrower stance? Heeeellllpppp!
Get your putting stance with no ball, let your arms hang from your shoulders, make sure above all else your shoulders are perfectly square to the ball/target line. As you do this you'll notice the leading edge of your putter is pretty much in line with the middle of your chest.
Take a good note of where this is, then right there in front of the putter face is where your ball should always be positioned when you putt, this means you'll always be putting with a slightly upwards stroke through impact and you want to contact the equator of the ball through impact. Your posture with this wants to be so your spine angle places your eyes directly over the ball.
The engine for movement when putting is better if it's the shoulders that are controlling the arms it's more consistent, your hands don't flex at all. (Best if the putter handle in the left palm lies directly under the thumb pad in the palm and falls nearly vertically down the palm fingers pointing to the ground then close around handle. It will feel uncomfortable if you haven't done this but it's worth persevering with, and not having the handle in the fingers as in a normal grip on your other clubs, the reason for this is that you want to stop any movement/flex/set at all in the left wrist. Left wrist left arm putter shaft keep the same alignment at address right through to the completion of the stroke.)
On the practice putting green place 5 balls equally spaced around the hole on a two foot circle.
When you make a putting stroke with your shoulders your legs, hips don't move at all they are set in concrete, your head is still for this drill as it should be any time you putt, listen for the ball going in, don't move your head! For rhythm count 1 - 2 to yourself back and through.
For the drill, just go to your 1st ball, line up, pause, through head tilt only (not lift) let your eyes look at the center back lip of the hole, take your eyes back to the back of the ball and make your stroke, listen to it go in. {The length of stroke for this distance as a guide shoulders moving putter head back to right big toe through to left big toe if feet at toes are around 10 to12" apart don't let the putter head recoil off the strike it keeps going through with the shoulder movement, the relationship of left arm flat left wrist being in line with the putter shaft you had at address should be in exactly the same alignment conditions at this held end position opposite your left big toe}.
Move to next ball and repeat at the same free quick pace, you should get all 5 in, miss one then go back to the beginning line them all up and start again, don't cheat.
Soon you won't miss, and fear of these short putts will have gone away. You can obviously do this with a 4 ft circle and 6 ft, wouldn't recommend doing this circle drill with anything longer than 6 ft circle.