Surprisingly, putting often gets slightly overlooked by beginner golfers. It is the long game, swing and driving that tends to get the focus of attention when it comes to practice. But, of course, there is no club in your golf bag that is used as much as a putter.

It is vital to practice until your putting stroke is smooth and becomes almost second nature. Here are some tips to help you become a better putter.

Use a light grip

It is important to grip the putter lightly. There are various styles of grip that you can employ – and finding one to suit you is important – but there is nothing more important than getting the grip pressure right. This is the key to achieving a consistent putting stroke. All that is needed is enough pressure to prevent slipping between your hands and the putter grip.

Keep your eyes directly over the ball

This can make all the difference to a good putt. You should aim to have your eyes directly over the putting line, this means that your view shouldn’t be distorted as you take aim. You can test how accurately you are doing this. Drop another ball from your leading eye – this is the one nearest to the hole. If you are lined up perfectly, the ball you drop will land on top of the original ball.

Keep a consistent tempo

Consistency is another key factor in achieving a better putting stroke. You should aim to maintain a consistent tempo for all putts. If you need to hit the ball a longer or shorter distance, just lengthen or shorten your stroke accordingly. This means the distance you need will be covered in the same time. This allows you to control the pace with which you strike the ball.