Putting Uphill: Long Uphill Golf Putts

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Long Uphill Putts

From Trillium Rose On March 31, 2022

Not many shots can take you out of your comfort zone quite the way that a long, uphill put can. If you baby it and come up short, you're looking straight down the barrel of a three-putt. Try to hit it... harder and your putting stroke can lose all sense of smoothness and control. "Hitting" at a putt can send your golf ball anywhere, and rarely near the cup.

Luckily, Titleist staff member Trillium Rose has a solution. In this video, she explains that the key to long up-hillers is maintaining tempo. Tempo is what gives your putting stroke its smoothness and repeatability. So, the first order of business is to focus on the timing, back and through, of your stroke. Think of a metronome and the tick-tock rhythm that your putter would make if it was in-sync with the metronome's pendulum. Play that rhythm in your head as you make some practice strokes.

The second order of business is creating more force to cover the longer distance and get the ball up the hill. To achieve this, all you have to do is make a longer backswing. As Trillium suggests, think of your hands moving beyond your trail leg on the backswing. This makes a larger arc and generates more speed at impact.

But remember, whether it's a 70-foot uphill putt like Trillium's or a downhill 3-footer, the rhythm and tempo of your stroke must remain the same. The only variable is the length of your backswing.

Not many shots can take you out of your comfort zone quite the way that a long, ... uphill put can. If you baby it and come up short, you're looking straight down the barrel of a three-putt. Try to hit it harder and your putting stroke can lose all sense of smoothness and control. "Hitting" at a putt can send your golf ball anywhere, and rarely near the cup.

Luckily, Titleist staff member Trillium Rose has a solution. In this video, she explains that the key to long up-hillers is maintaining tempo. Tempo is what gives your putting stroke its smoothness and repeatability. So, the first order of business is to focus on the timing, back and through, of your stroke. Think of a metronome and the tick-tock rhythm that your putter would make if it was in-sync with the metronome's pendulum. Play that rhythm in your head as you make some practice strokes.

The second order of business is creating more force to cover the longer distance and get the ball up the hill. To achieve this, all you have to do is make a longer backswing. As Trillium suggests, think of your hands moving beyond your trail leg on the backswing. This makes a larger arc and generates more speed at impact.

But remember, whether it's a 70-foot uphill putt like Trillium's or a downhill 3-footer, the rhythm and tempo of your stroke must remain the same. The only variable is the length of your backswing.