Most amateur golfers drive well but fall apart on the green. Three putting ruins a great drive. Stiff mechanics and bad green reads add frustrating strokes to the scorecard. It feels terrible to waste a perfect fairway shot because of a sloppy putt.

Brain DeLorge knows how to fix this problem. He shares 12 tour proven secrets to lower your golf score. You will learn expert golf putting tips to improve distance control and build a smooth stroke. These tips will help you putt better today.

1. How to Fix Your Ball Position for a Better Strike

Center or back ball placements cause you to hit down on the golf ball. This makes the ball bounce off the putter face. You need to move the ball slightly forward in your stance. Tiger Woods uses a great trick for his putting setup.

He drops a ball from his left eye. He places his golf ball right where it lands. This puts his eyes directly over the ball. The goal is to hit slightly up through impact. This gives the ball a smooth roll.

2. 3 Reasons to Freeze Your Head and Body

Moving your head ruins your putting stroke. Your body needs to stay completely quiet. You should power the stroke entirely by rocking your shoulders. Justin Thomas is a great example of this. He keeps his head completely frozen.

This helped him shoot a 62 at TPC Sawgrass. Do not watch the golf ball roll away. Keep your eyes on the grass. Wait until the ball rolls two or three feet past impact before you look up. This is how you putt better.

3. The Quick Fix for Bad Grip Pressure

A tight putter grip ruins your feel on the green. Tight hands create rigid arms and a robotic stroke. Putting requires a soft touch. Butch Harmon taught Tiger Woods to loosen his grip. Tiger dropped his grip pressure to a six out of 10.

This small change improved his career. Keep your right hand slightly firmer than your left. Let the club rest lightly in your fingers. A loose grip helps you make more putts.

4. How to Master Lag Putting With the 10 Percent Rule

Long lag putts often lead to double bogeys. A lag putt is anything over 30 feet. You must play more break to keep the ball falling to the hole. Speed is your main priority. You miss 100 percent of putts that do not reach the hole.

Use the 10 percent rule for better putting distance control. A 30 foot putt needs a three foot target circle. A 50 foot putt needs a five foot circle. This simple math takes the pressure off.

5. Build a Bulletproof Pre Shot Routine

Rushing your setup leads to missed putts. You need a consistent routine for every single putt. Start by reading the green from behind the ball. Walk the line to look for pitch marks or pebbles. Check the grass color.

Read the putt from behind the hole to confirm your thoughts. Step in and look at the hole to gauge the depth. Good routines teach you how to putt better.

6. Nail the Strike Point With the Golf Tee Drill

Hitting down on the ball causes bad backspin. You need an upward strike on the middle of the golf ball. This creates a smooth forward roll. Try the tee drill to fix your strike. Place a golf tee slightly above the ground directly in front of your ball.

Make your stroke. A good upward stroke misses the tee. A bad downward stroke hits the tee. These putting drills build a perfect strike.

7. Why You Should Forget the Line and Focus on Speed

Staring at your putter line ruins your speed. Once you set your feet, forget the line. Shift all your focus to putting speed control. Look directly at the hole while you set up. This builds your depth perception.

Think about shooting a free throw in basketball. You look at the hoop instead of the ball. Trust your stroke and focus entirely on the distance.

8. How to Adjust Break for Uphill and Downhill Putts

Gravity changes how every putt breaks. Pace dictates how much a putt curves. Uphill putts require more speed. The extra speed means the ball breaks less. Downhill putts require a very soft touch. Slower speed means the ball breaks a lot more.

You might play a 10 foot uphill putt just outside the left edge. You would play that same putt further outside the right edge if it went downhill. Reading golf greens requires adjusting for elevation.

9. The Pro Secret for Slippery Downhill Putts

Fast downgrain putts easily roll way past the hole. Sometimes a center strike transfers too much energy. Pros use a secret trick for these scary putts. Line the ball up off the toe of the putter.

Hitting off the toe creates a dead strike. The ball comes off much softer. This is a great emergency tactic for downhill putting. Only use this trick when the green is extremely fast.

10. How to Read Putting Green Grain Like a Pro

Ignoring the grass grain ruins your speed control. Grain dictates both speed and break. Light green shiny grass means you are putting down grain. The ball will roll very fast. Dark green grass means you are putting into the grain.

The ball will roll much slower. Look closely at the hole rim. The damaged side shows the exact direction the grain grows. Look for these clues when reading golf greens.

11. Why You Need a Physical Trigger to Start Your Stroke

Standing frozen over the ball creates extra tension. You need a physical cue to start your stroke smoothly. Phil Mickelson uses a forward press. Rickie Fowler hovers his putter head slightly above the grass.

Others simply tap the putter behind the ball. Find a trigger that works for you. A trigger removes tension and makes your putting stroke fluid.

12. 3 Reasons to Stop Buying Off the Rack Putters

Standard putters do not fit most golfers. Playing with the wrong putter ruins your posture. You might need a different length or lie angle. Dropping from a 34 inch putter to a 33 inch putter can fix a downward strike angle.

Go to a shop like Second Swing Golf or Studio Bettinardi. A putter fitting is one of the best golf putting tips you can follow.

Most Impactful Putting Fixes

The Problem	The Quick Fix	The Result
Bouncing putts	Move the ball slightly forward.	Creates an upward strike for a smooth roll.
Rigid stroke	Loosen your grip to a six out of 10.	Builds better feel and fluid mechanics.
Poor distance control	Aim for a 10 percent target circle.	Takes the pressure off long lag putts.
Fast downhill greens	Hit the ball off the putter toe.	Deadens the strike so the ball stops near the hole.