Best Way to Make Good Sidehill Putts in Golf

Unfortunately not all the putts we get on the course are completely straight. But the key to good sidehill putting is to remember that every putt should be treated as a straight putt.

To be a good short putter, keep practicing putts of 1 metre (3ft). From 1 metre we should get a 100 percent record. You start learning about your own putting. Practicing with a straight putt develops a good stroke. However, unfortunately it is very easy on a sidehill lie to lose your best stroke.

On a sidehill lie with the ball slightly above your feet the tendency is to lose your straight stroke and to allow the putt to become a curve. Choose a spot to the right of the hole where you know you have to aim. Remember that your feet are slightly below the ball, so try to stand a little taller to counteract this. Having chosen the spot you are aiming for, make a perfectly straight stroke to that spot and try to ignore the hole.

Don’t allow your stroke to become a curve, as though following the slope and trying to steer the ball around the curve.

In playing a right to left putt, address the hall much nearer the toe of the club. This helps to keep the ball travelling slowly and also helps to keep the ball spinning up slightly to the right. As long as the ball is above the hole, it will always have a chance of dropping down and into it.

The speed of the sidehill putt is much more crucial than with a straight putt. It is a combination of line and length. If you over-hit, the ball turns down to the hole too late. If you under-hit, it turns too early. The speed of the putt always has to be carefully judged.

On a sidehill putt some professionals like to hit the ball very hard straight for the back of the hole. This counteracts the borrow, but if you do miss, the ball will go alarmingly far past. If you prefer to hit the putt more softly, you have to allow much more to the right. But do remember to practice on the practice-green with the same speed you would use on the course. Many players hit the ball firmly and straight on the practice green but then lack the courage to do this on the course!

On a left to right putt, try the following approach. Choose a spot to the left of the hole. Bend at the knees very slightly to counteract the slope, sit the club slightly on its heel with the toe fractionally off the ground and address the ball in the neck of the club. Addressing the ball towards the heel helps keep the ball slightly to the left and stops it sliding away to the right. It does mean that the ball travels off a little more quickly, so treat it with caution!