Golf Putting Tips

When your Golf Ball is on the Edge of Fringe

Here are some basic golf putting tips for one of more the trickier putts encountered on the putting green...when your golf ball is on the very edge of the putting green. If the fringe or apron is close enough that your putter will catch it on the backswing or just before contact, it can throw off your putting stroke entirely and lead to a short, choppy strike that doesn’t come close to the hole.

Putts like this require a shift from the pendulum stroke that most golfers use on the actual putting green to a more up-and-down motion. Combating this lie requires some significant changes in both philosophy and motion, but the following approach should help ensure solid results.

3 Golf Putting Tips
to Make Contact with the Golf Ball

Change Alignment

Lift Club Head up in the Backswing

Stop the Club immediately after Contact

The first golf putting tip to remember is to change your alignment slightly, putting the golf ball back in your stance (ideally opposite your back foot). Instead of holding the club vertical, move the shaft a bit forward, while putting more weight on your left leg. When you start the putting stroke, lift the club head up in the backswing, and stop the club immediately after contact. That sounds similar to hitting a ball out of the rough, and it is a similar philosophy – you want to make sure to make contact with the golf ball first, not the grass.

That golf swing results in a ball that pops off the green with heavy topspin, so it will roll faster and farther than a usual stroke. Plan accordingly, and err on the side of leaving the putt a little short to avoid a long comeback the other way.

This technique works better for long putts than short ones. When the pin is close to the fringe, it may be better to hit a wedge or long iron with your regular putting motion. The club will sweep through the grass and allow a smoother putting stroke, but it also will get the golf ball in the air, so it requires a lighter golf swing. It also helps to keep your arms forward, which will help land the golf ball softly and roll slowly upon impact.

Final Golf Putting Tips

Practice Both Approaches

Whether you choose to use the more up-and-down motion with the putter, or the wedge or long iron with your regular putting motion, both of these approaches take some time to get comfortable with. So the next time you’re near a practice green, take some time to work on both approaches. You’ll be grateful the next time you turn a sticky situation into a crowd-pleasing one-putt.