It was fun to see Justin Thomas win again. His 16th career victory reminded everyone of just how dangerous he is when every part of his game clicks. At the RBC Heritage, the putter was hot and it showed. A perfectly rolled 30-footer on the first playoff hole sealed the deal and ended a nearly three-year winless drought.
As I watched Thomas play on Sunday, something about his putting stroke stood out – something every golfer could (and probably should) copy.
The move Thomas makes on every single putt
Watch JT on the greens and you’ll notice it. He doesn’t peek. Not even a little. He keeps his head down until the putter has passed his lead foot on every putt, short or long.
It’s not revolutionary. Plenty of pros do this. But very few are as disciplined about it and that’s what makes it worth copying.
Do you know how hard it is not to glance up when you’ve got a 30-footer for your first win in more than 1,000 days? Exactly. Thomas didn’t flinch. He trusts his stroke and lets the ball do what it’s going to do.
That kind of commitment can clean up a lot of putting strokes, especially for amateurs who are too quick to look.
What happens when you look up too soon
It’s one of the most common putting mistakes. You make your stroke and your eyes are already tracking the ball before you’ve even finished it. Looking up too soon often changes the putter’s face angle at impact. It might be a small change but that’s all it takes to:
- Miss short putts to the right
- Decrease the quality of your strike
- Miss low on longer putts, especially under pressure
Peeking can also cause deceleration. The hesitation in your stroke when your eyes jump ahead of your hands will cause you to miss putts.
Try this simple drill today
You don’t need to overthink this. Just head to the practice green with two tees.
- Place the first tee where your golf ball would normally sit.
- Place the second tee a few inches beyond the ball, in line with your stroke path, but off to the side, so it’s not in the way of the putt.
- Your goal: keep your head down and don’t look up until the putter has clearly passed the second tee.
Want to take it a step further on short putts? Don’t look up at all. Listen for the ball to drop in.
Final thoughts
When Justin Thomas saw his putting stats tumble, dropping outside the top 100 and falling all the way to 135th, he picked up the phone and called his friend Xander Schauffele. Schauffele did not offer a magic fix but he helped Thomas think through his struggles and rebuild a foundation of fundamentals. We do not know exactly what made the difference but one thing stands out: Thomas now looks like a player confident enough in his stroke to keep his head down longer. So far, it seems to be working.
vito
1 year ago
I’ve tried various versions of this drill(and others). What I’ve settled on is making my read, lining up the mark on the ball with my target, getting set, then looking at the ball and lining up the putter with that mark. Then I look at my target, keeping my head still and make the stroke. My putting has improved about 3 strokes per round since I’ve done that. Probably because I hardly ever 3 putt except on really long putts.
Greg Z
1 year ago
I went to heads-up putting last year and my putting has been so much better, my speed is perfect and it takes away any tension or mechanical thought. Why is golf the only sport that we don’t look at the target while shooting? Basketball, Hockey, Football even darts look at the target.
Duke
1 year ago
So you are looking at the hole when you putt? Interesting.