Did you know that more than 90% of putts on the golf course are not straight?
Which is why you need to learn how to master breaking putts so you can lower your scores fast. Otherwise, you’ll struggle on the overwhelming majority of putts and likely never shoot as low of scores as you could.
So, who do you make more breaking putts?
It’s a combination of a solid green reading routine, proper setup, fundamentals, and practicing the right way. Keep reading to learn exactly what you need to do so you can make more sliding putts every single round.
How to Play Breaking Putts
Putting is the key to playing your best golf.
As short game guru Dave Pelz said, “Putting is 43% of the game of golf. If you don’t putt well, you’re not going to score well.”
Key Takeaways
- Most putts during a round – regardless of length – have some sort of break. Which is why it’s so important to understand how to play breaking putts.
- The key to making more breaking putts is to read them correctly and have the right speed. More speed means less break while a slower speed means you’ll need to add break.
- Once you have the speed-line combo, you need the right setup so you can get the ball started on the right line.
- You’ll also need to practice breaking putts on the course so you can get comfortable with sliding putts.
Keep reading to learn more about each step, as well as a putting green that lets you practice breaking putts indoors.
Read the Putt Properly
The first step to making more breaking putts is mastering your green reading skills. Because even if you have the best putter and stroke, you won’t make many putts without the right read.
Read our full guide to read greens like a pro. And consider trying out AimPoint as it’s also a popular way to read greens.
Regardless of which style you use, make sure you have a consistent green reading routine. You don’t want to “wing it” or you’ll lack commitment and rarely make a good stroke.
After marking and cleaning your golf ball, always ask yourself this one question as you’re crouched down, reading your putt. “Where is the ball going in the hole?”
When you ask this question, it presupposes to your mind that you’ve already made the putt. Which causes your brain to work backwards and “reverse visualize” where the ball will enter the hole (think of it like a clock system).
Then you can reverse engineer the putt so it goes in at 4, 5, 6 o’clock. Also, don’t forget to add some more break so you don’t miss on the “amateur side” of the hole.
Most everyday players drastically underestimate the amount of break in a putt.
Which leads to missing them low (the amateur side) and rarely going in). If you add more break and have a dying speed, you’ll make more on the “pro side” of the hole.
Before going to the next step, always make sure you’re 100% committed to the line.
Focus on Speed
Speed is crucial to ensure you make more breaking putts.
If you hit the putt too hard, it won’t break as much and miss on the high side. If you hit the putt too soft, it’ll end up short and/or break too much and miss on the low side.
Always ensure the line you pick matches the ideal speed.
If it’s an uphill putt, you can plan to hit it a little harder and remove some break. Try to imagine the ball going in the back of the cup as a good visual.
If it’s a downhill putt, you can plan to hit the putt a little softer and add more break. Try to imagine this ball just falling in the front edge so you don’t hit it too hard.
Learn more about how to putt on slow greens and how to putt on fast greens too.
Set Up For Success
Once you’ve identified the break and apex point, it’s time to get lined up properly.
This is where you need to decide if you want to line the golf ball up or not. Some players prefer a golf ball marking with a line pointing toward the intended start line, while others don’t – it’s 100% personal preference.
But it’s important to decide which style works best for you and then stick with it. A lot of golfers can benefit from lining the putt up, especially breaking putts, to get set up properly. Otherwise, you risk being aimed left or right of your intended start line.
Aside from getting the ball lined up correctly, make sure you also get your feet and shoulders in the right direction too. You want all body parts lined up parallel to your target so you don’t accidentally set up open or closed.
Have a Consistent Putting Routine
The final tip for breaking putts (and really all putts) is to make sure you have a consistent pre-shot putting routine. While you might have a routine for your full swings, make sure you have one for the greens too.
If you watch the most clutch putters in the world – like Tiger, Jack, or Arnie – you’ll notice they all had their own unique putting styles. But regardless of the type of putter they had or their posture or stroke, they all had a consistent routine.
A good routine on the greens makes it easy to commit to your line, look at the hole 1–2 times and hit the putt. Visualize the ball going in the hole and step off the putt if you find any negative thoughts (or doubt) creeping into your mind.
Unfortunately, so many golfers avoid this crucial step and overthink or doubt the read of the putt.
Aim to make your putting routine 6–8 seconds from time over the ball to hitting the putt. Less is more and if you’ve done your homework behind the golf ball, you’ll set yourself up for success.
Practice Breaking Putts
Next, make sure you practice breaking putts during putting practice.
Too many golfers only practice hitting straight putts. While that’s okay to get the fundamentals dialed in, you need to practice more breaking putts, since most aren’t straight on the course.
After warming up, checking your eye position, and even recording your stroke, practice left to right and right to left putts. Try to hit them with different speeds to add/remove breaks and improve your visualization skills.
Learn how to use a putting mirror so you can get the right eye position. Make sure to consider these training aids too.
Breaking Ball Putting Mat
Indoor putting practice is a fantastic way to work on your short game without leaving home.
While there are a lot of great putting greens out there, there’s a problem with most of them – they only allow you to practice straight puts. But as we’ve discussed already, most putts on the golf course are not straight!
Luckily, some brands allow you to buy different accessories to add putts (like Breaking Ball). Unfortunately, they’re not as convenient in my experience.
But there is an alternative – the Breaking Ball Putting Mat. This mat is flat and doesn’t break on the surface. Instead, the golf balls are made to break in either direction depending on how you place them on the mat.
This makes it easy to practice left to right or right to left sliders on a flat surface. It’s also very affordable compared to other mats (like PrimePutt or BirdieBall) and easy to roll up and store when not in use.
Read our full review of the Breaking Ball putting mat.
Putting Tutor by Dave Pelz
The Putting Tutor is another phenomenal putting aid to help you get the ball started on the right line. Most golfers don’t play enough break, and this training aid will help you quickly fix that issue.
Plus, it works well for beginners all the way to seasoned pros (like Phil Mickelson, who’s endorsed the product in the past). It’s also very small and easy to store in your bag at all times, or use indoors as well.
Putting Gates
The final putting aid that can help you with breaking putts are putting gates. These are sometimes included with putting mirrors or bought as an accessory.
After you read the putt, you can set up the proper “road” and make sure your ball goes through the gates.
My Experience
Breaking putts are a big part of golf, so spend plenty of time in practice with them.
Chances are, you’ll struggle with one more than the other. For example, even though I’m right-handed, I struggle with right to left putts (despite most RH players liking them).
So I spend a little more time on these putts in practice. I’ve found that my main issue with these putts is setting up with open shoulders, as I’m left eye dominant. On the golf course I try to remind myself to set up slightly more square or even feeling slightly closed and it’s helped a ton.
Knowing your tendencies – from tee to green – will help you play more consistent golf.
Final Thoughts
The easiest way to make more slider putts is to always commit to a line.
Don’t walk up to the putt unless you have a clear picture of the speed and break of it. Otherwise, you risk manipulating your stroke and possibly creating some bad habits.
Follow these steps and commit to every putt so you can score like a pro. If your putting needs more help, read these articles next:
