The reason why you miss putts probably isn't because of your putting stroke. It's not because you're hitting off-center. You may be pushing or pulling putts, but there's also a good chance that you're consistent enough doing so that it doesn't matter as much as you think (just ask Tiger).
No, the reason why most of your putts don't go in is because you're misreading putts. Unlike mashing a drive 350 yards, you possess all the tools to avoid these kinds of judgment errors. You just need to learn a few things that'll help you along the way.
1. Feel it with your feet (it works!)
Most tour players these days adopt a hybrid AimPoint approach, which essentially just means that they read the greens primarily by feeling the slope with their feet. The reason why this works is pretty simple: Slopes are a lot easier to feel than they are to see, so if you're struggling, try it. The basics are easy to try: Just stand over the line of your putt, so the path your ball will take will run between your legs, and feel the slope with your feet. You might be surprised how simple it is.
Keyur Khamar
2. Look up at your putt (this is important)
If you don't like the trendy approach and would rather trust your eyes, that's fine, too. One thing that'll help you see the slope is to stand at the lowest point on the green, nearest your ball. Basically, you want to be looking up at your putt, because that's what brings the slopes closer to your eye line, and therefore easier to understand. Here's an article that helps explain why.
3. Get further back than you think
Along those lines, in a recent Golf IQ podcast we discussed how widening your field of view can help you read putts. That means crouching down to read the putt a good 20 feet—or maybe more—behind your ball. Suddenly, you'll start to appreciate the larger undulations on the greens, along with the smaller slopes which stem from them.
4. Give yourself pop quizzes
Tour putting coach Ralph Bauer's green reading system really helped my own putting. You can read about it in full here, but the key tenet is being able to guess the exact degrees of a slope. It's easy to practice: Find a slope, feel it with your feet, then try to guess how many degrees it is. Then, use the level in the Tour Read App to see how close you were. Rinse and repeat. You'll start getting better in a hurry.
5. Settle on a consistent goal speed
Putts break less the harder you hit them, and more the slower you hit them. If you're changing around the speed you hit putts (i.e., hitting some hard, and some soft), it's only going to make estimating the break even more difficult. Most golfers would be better served to pick a goal speed for all their putts, and stick with it. Dying at the hole? One foot past the hole? Three feet past the hole? Whatever feels natural. Generally speaking, the slower the better.
6. Split the putt into thirds
This is a green reading method that seems to have survived the test of time. Break your putt into thirds, analyze each individually, then put them all together at the end. Compartmentalizing like this can help a lot of golfers focus on the key parts of the putt, and not get distracted by the stuff that doesn't matter.
7. Focus on the final part of the putt
That said, remember that it's the final third of your putt that's most important. Your ball is (hopefully) rolling at its slowest as it approaches the hole, which means it's more susceptible to slopes. That's likely where your ball is going to be moving the most.
GLYN KIRK
8. Randomize your practice (an expert says so)
As golf's foremost biomechanist Dr. Sasho Mackenzie explained in our recent Golf Digest Happy Hour, the best way to practice your putting is to simply hit lots of different putts. A downhill 20-footer, then a left-to-right seven-footer, then an uphill 12-footer. Exposing yourself to lots of different putts forces you to improve the mental skills all good putters have.
9. Segment your technical practice
Technical practice is important though, especially when it comes to rolling your ball where you're intending. If you can't do that, you may think your green-reading is a problem when it's actually your stroke—and both will get worse because of it. When it comes time to practice your technique, do it by dedicating some time specifically for technical work. Get a putting station, and use a start line drill used by the pros. Just 10 minutes of grinding will help, and don't mail it in. Go full technical for a short peried of time. That will help you feel free and artistic the rest of the time.
10. Take in the wider context while you walk
Improving at green-reading ultimately comes down to being aware. Picking up on the little details. Many coaches will tell you that happens before you reach the green. As you're walking or driving up, widen your focus. How is the green pitched? Is it elevated? What stands out to you from the approach shot? You may not be able to read your putt from the fairway, but it may help you avoid being deceived once you do get on the green (yes, it's a thing)