Ben Crenshaw Reveals Several of His Putting Techniques

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From The Smylie Kaufman Show

Putting by Feel: Touch, Visualization and a Light Grip

There are only a handful of pure joys in golf, from watching prime Tiger Woods drive the ball to seeing a great putter at work. In an age of AimPoint, zero-torque mallets and broomsticks, an old-school putting stroke with plenty of face rotation can still make nearly everything it looks at.

While putting routines can change over the years, two elements remain essential: the quality of the strike and knowing how hard to hit the ball. Touch dictates aim, but reading the green is equally important.

The process begins by picturing the ball traveling along a certain arc and imagining how it will look as it reaches the hole. The preferred approach is to let the ball die near the cup rather than rush it past.

A light grip also helps the putter head feel heavy. Gripping the handle more tightly makes the head feel lighter and prevents it from swinging as freely. A heavier-feeling putter head produces a more natural swing.