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Putting downhill can be a nightmare to many golfers. When putting uphill, the back of the cup is slightly higher than the front and can act as a backstop. In a downhill putt the back of the cup is slightly lower than the front.
If the shot is hit too hard, the ball can go over the lip of the cup and the back of the cup won’t stop the ball. The other problem with a downhill putt is the ball rolls a lot farther than the golfer plans.
The key to downhill putting is to hit the ball softly enough to just tip it into the hole.
What happens to many golfers who try to control the speed of the ball is they decelerate during the through-stroke. This causes their muscles to tighten. As this happens the club face opens starts the ball off the target line. Even if the ball catches the lip, it can spin out of the cup. And because it’s a downhill putt, it typically rolls too far to be a tap-in.
There are two ways to handle the downhill putt.
1. Hit the ball with the toe of the putter. By hitting the ball away from the sweet spot of the club, less force is applied, which causes the ball to roll more slowly. However, you’re taking the chance of opening up the putter face. This can cause a putt to go off target. Therefore, if you’re going to try this method, you have to have a tighter grip on the putter to keep the club face from opening.
2. The second way to control the putt is to choke down on the putter. Sometimes you may have to grip the shaft of the putter instead of the grip. Doing this will effectively shorten the club, which allows less power on impact.
If the downhill is extreme, grip even further down on the club shaft. This will probably feel very awkward and seem difficult, but practice it and you’ll find it easier to hit a short, controllable distance, even on a fast downhill putt.
This is one of many tips for the beginner golfer that can be found on the new golf blog for beginner golfers, Sensible Golf Tips.
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What do you think?
October 5th, 2007 at 6:06 am
One thing I see quite often is that beginner golfers are intimidated by downhill putts. The player is taking the club way back and then stops at the ball on the down stroke, being afraid to hit it too hard. This often causes complete miss-alignment of the putt.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Frank…that’s a great point. Decelerating in putting is the death of any putt
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October 5th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Great tips.. I am going to try the tips out during my round of golf this weekend. Wish me luck. I struggle with this downhill putt alot. I have no feel of the putt at all.
Another thing I note for a downhill putt is that, the impact of any break or pediments on the green is very different than on a flat putt.
October 6th, 2007 at 3:42 am
Glad you like them
! Spread the word about this golf improvement blog as I am trying to build a real community of golfers in here 
!
October 7th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
I highly recommend that if you are struggling with downhill putts, that you do a couple of drills on the practice green. My favorite is finding the most slopped part of the green and hit a putt to a distance which doesn’t require to be hit to a specific hole that is cut in the green. I would recommend that you use at least three balls to develop good feel. I pick out a spot on the green and mark it with a tee. I then try to hit the remaining two balls to that same spot that you originally place the tee. Trust me, if you do this you will develop good feel and distance control for downhill putts.
October 8th, 2007 at 5:22 am
Great tip Travis! I’ll try those myself! Thanks for being part of the community!
October 9th, 2007 at 10:55 am
Great tips Mike!
those down hill putts are always pretty tricky!
October 9th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Thanks Sean! I know I’ve blown many putts 5 feet by the hole on downhillers
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