Should arms be straight when putting?
Rachel Ellis
Published Jan 06, 2026
Make sure that as you tilt forward that you do not straighten your arms out - be sure to maintain the flex in the arms that you established during the set-up drill. If your putter does not reach the ground you can flex your kness a little or your club is too short for you.
How should your arms hang when putting?
SETUP. Let your arms hang softly from your shoulders, and grip the club so that the shaft sits 90 degrees to the ground. Check your hands — you should notice a small “cup” in the back of each wrist.
Where should elbows be when putting?
Both elbows should be tucked into your sides. Now bend slowly from your hips and gradually lower the putter to the ground, simultaneously bending your knees. Make sure the putterface is aligned to your target line, and you're ready to go.
Do you putt with your shoulders or your arms?
The best (and fastest) way to do that is to drive your putting stroke not with your arms and hands, but with your shoulders moving up and down as you swing the putter back and through on the correct path.
Where should your hands be when putting?
Putting Stance – Video Summary
As you rest the putter on the ground, position your hands so that the grip of the putter points towards your left hip, just left of your belt buckle (for the right-handed golfer). Your hands should be slightly ahead of the golf ball.
38 related questions foundShould your elbows touch your body when putting?
Interlace your fingers, clasping your hands in front of you. Then, get into your putting posture, and place your hands over your belly button, your elbows bent outward at 45 degrees. Keeping your lower body quiet, engage your core muscles and use them to rock your arms and shoulders back and forth.
How close should you stand to the ball when putting?
MEASURE YOUR DISTANCE
Too far away, and the stroke path will be in to out. Most tour pros stand 2¼ to 2¾ putterheads from the inside edge of the ball to the toe line (left). Putterheads range from 4¼ to 4½ inches long.
How wide should your putting stance be?
Find the Proper Stance Width
In order to maximize balance and stability, spread your feet out slightly wider than your shoulders during your set-up. The best way to do this is to stand with your feet at shoulder-width apart, then move each foot one to two inches away from each other.
What starts putting stroke?
The most consistent way you can to start your putting stroke to produce these strokes is to use the shoulders, and in particular, the left or lead shoulder.
Should you bend your knees when putting?
You should have a slight knee flex in your putting stance. If your knees are locked, you're straining your back too much.
Should hands be forward when putting?
It is a good idea to set your hands in front of the ball because such a position will usually lead to a clean roll. If your hands are farther back, you can actually hit a mini-chip shot which bounces along the green before it starts to roll.
Should my putter be flat on the ground?
Perfect Fit
You know your putter fits you when the sole of the club lies flat on the ground when your eyes are over the ball at setup. You're ready to roll the ball off the sweet spot— just as the putter was designed!
Is a wider stance better in golf?
A wide golf stance is typically categorized as a stance where your feet are wider than shoulder width apart. With feet this wide, you can get a lot more stability in your swing, which usually results in faster swing speeds.
How far should you stand from your putter?
The optimum ball position is typically around 8 to 9 inches from your toe-line, the same distance from the hollow in your neck to your eye-line. As the head of most putters are about 4 to 4½ inches long, the distance is about two putter heads.
Should head be behind ball when putting?
You might have been told that when you putt, your eyes should be over the ball (above, right). But if you set up that way, your perception of the putting line can get distorted.
Why does Dustin Johnson touch his elbow?
By holding his right arm against his body, he's effectively pinning his arm against his body, so it stays tucked close to his torso. That allows the arms to swing the putter more inside on the backswing and start the ball on line as it comes through. “I've been working hard getting more comfortable over it,” DJ said.
Where should you put your weight?
Your weight should be on the balls of your feet rather than on your heels or toes. If your weight is either too far back on your heels or too far forward on your toes, your putter path will tend to follow the direction that your weight is tilted rather than that of your aimline.
Why is it important to lock your elbows during the putt?
Turning your right elbow inwards against your hip can stabilise your putter path. Part of the skill in holing putts is the ability to make a smooth and effortless stroke. For many golfers this is difficult to do.
Why is my putting so inconsistent?
One feature of inconsistent putting strokes is too much shoulder-and-arm action. When you pull your arms back and then push them toward the hole to make a stroke, you're essentially swinging the wrong end of the club and relying on a fundamentally inconsistent power source.
Is there a dominant hand in putting?
If you putt right-handed, your right hand will be more dominant. It will also be the one that can cause you the most problems in your stroke. Problems arise when you start to use it to guide or power your putting stroke. It should help and support your left – it should never control it.