It’s the age-old dilemma, you are faced with a short putt to win the match for your team, break 90 for the first time or rescue an unlikely par – but do you hit it firm or dead-weight?
You will likely still need to read the green to some extent and ensure that your putting technique is sound, but let’s be frank – pace is king when it comes to short putts.
We famously saw Rory McIlroy miss a short putt in his bid to secure the 2024 US Open, so this isn’t just a problem plaguing amateur golfers. So, in the interest of finding a definitive answer, I turned to the eternal wisdom of two of Golf Monthly’s experts to see how they would approach this common conundrum…
Fergus Bisset: Hit It Nice And Firm
Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset is Golf Monthly’s resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf’s long history. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history.
At the outset, I should say that although I’m a strong advocate of the firmly rapped short putt, I’m not an impressive exponent of the method. The confidently struck three-footer is something I aspire to rather than proficiently demonstrate. But, as a poor putter, it’s clear to me that nonchalantly banging the short ones in is a far more effective strategy than trying to work out subtle breaks and cosy the ball into the front or side doors.
In bounce games, when not marking a card, I’ll often stride up to short ones that don’t matter and pop them straight in. Not considering much other than ‘firm and straight into the middle’, I normally make them. In competitions, or even doing a ‘general play’, I’m far more circumspect and I start to consider ways to miss.
Rory McIlroy missed perhaps the most famous short putt of 2024 and subsequently missed out on the US Open title
(Image credit: Getty Images)
More often than not, I’ll make a weak effort that dribbles towards the hole. At that point, I’m relying on a good degree of hope. I’m hoping I’ve judged the break, I’m hoping I’ve hit it hard enough, I’m hoping there are no imperfections on the line that…
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