The Putting Lab: July Edition
- Curtis Whitelegg
- 2 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
 Welcome to the very first edition of The Putting Lab.
If you're reading this, chances are you're the type of golfer who enjoys understanding why putts are holed, not just how. This newsletter is for golfers who love the finer details of putting, appreciate the science behind performance, and are always looking for that extra edge on the greens.
Each month, I'll be sharing insights from my coaching, the latest research, putting statistics, practice ideas, equipment discussions, and observations from the professional game. My aim isn't to overwhelm you with information, but to help you become a smarter, more effective putter by breaking down complex concepts into practical advice you can use.
Whether we're exploring green reading, start line, pace control, stroke mechanics, psychology, or the technology used by the world's best players, every edition will focus on helping you hole more putts through better understanding.
This is the first edition of what I hope becomes a valuable monthly resource for golfers who are as passionate about putting as I am. Thank you for being here from the beginning, I can't wait to share what I've learned and continue learning alongside you.
Welcome to The Putting Lab. |
Lab Report
The Truth About Putter Fitting
One of the biggest misconceptions I come across when fitting golfers for a putter is the belief that your stroke shape determines the type of putter neck you should use.
You've probably heard something like this before: Strong arc = lots of toe hang (flow neck or small slant neck) Slight arc = moderate toe hang (plumber's neck) 'Straight-back, straight-through' = face-balanced (double bend or centre-shafted) · It's a simple theory, but it's also an oversimplification, and in many cases, it's simply wrong.
So what actually matters?
The amount of toe hang in a putter doesn't match your stroke shape. Instead, it influences how much the putter face naturally wants to rotate during the stroke.
A putter with more toe hang allows the face to rotate more easily. This can be beneficial for golfers whose tendency is to pull putts, as the additional rotation can help prevent the face from becoming excessively closed at impact.
On the other hand, a face-balanced putter resists rotation. This generally suits golfers who tend to leave the face open and miss putts to the right (for a right-handed golfer), as it can make it easier to return the face square at impact.
What about Zero Torque putters?
The latest trend in putting is the rise of Zero Torque (or toe-up) putters. Some golfers believe these putters are the answer to every putting problem, but, like any piece of equipment, they aren't a universal solution.
Zero Torque putters are designed to resist face rotation throughout the stroke. They often work best for golfers who prefer to see and feel as little face rotation as possible and who are comfortable making a stroke where the putter face remains very stable.
For some players they're an excellent fit. For others, they can actually make it harder to release the putter naturally.
This is why fitting matters.
Rather than choosing a putter based on how you think your stroke looks, it's far more important to understand what the putter face is actually doing.
This is where technology makes a huge difference.
During a putter fitting using CAPTO, we can measure exactly how your putter moves throughout the stroke, including face rotation, face angle at impact, path, tempo and many other performance metrics. More importantly, it allows us to identify your natural tendencies. Whether you consistently leave the face open, close it too much, or return it square.
Only then can we match you with a putter that complements your delivery, rather than relying on outdated rules of thumb. The best putter isn't the one with the "correct" amount of toe hang for your stroke shape, it's the one that helps you deliver the putter face more consistently at impact.
Because at the end of the day, the golf ball doesn't care what your stroke looks like. It only reacts to where the putter face is pointing when it meets the ball.
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Tour Watch The World's Best Return to Royal Birkdale.
 This week, the golfing world heads to Royal Birkdale for the 154th Open Championship. Widely regarded as one of the fairest and most demanding links courses on The Open rota, Birkdale places a premium on precision rather than power. Firm fairways, penal bunkering and exposed greens mean every aspect of a player's short game will be tested.
While driving often grabs the headlines, Opens are frequently decided on the greens. When opportunities are limited, converting the chances you create becomes even more important.
As you watch this week's championship, pay particular attention to three things:
1. Pace over line The professionals won't obsess over making every putt. Instead, their priority is controlling speed. On links greens, getting the ball to finish within a comfortable tap-in range is often a great result. Good pace control also makes the hole effectively bigger, giving putts a better chance of dropping.
2. Commitment to the start line Watch how decisive the players are once they've chosen their line. There is very little steering or manipulation through impact. The best putters commit fully to their read and simply roll the ball on their intended start line.
3. Acceptance after a miss Even the world's best will miss plenty of putts this week. What separates them isn't perfection, it's their reaction. They accept the outcome, gather information from the putt and move on to the next shot without frustration.
If there's one lesson to take from Royal Birkdale this week, it's this: Great putting isn't about making everything, it's about consistently giving every putt its best chance.
Enjoy watching The Open, and the next time you're on the practice green, try focusing less on the result and more on your pace, your start line and your commitment to both.
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Myth Buster "The Putter Should Accelerate Through Impact" 
One of the most common pieces of putting advice golfers hear is "Make sure you accelerate through the ball."
It sounds logical. We accelerate in many areas of golf, so surely we should do the same with putting?
The reality is that this phrase causes many golfers to hit their putts rather than roll them. When golfers try to accelerate through impact, they often add unnecessary force at the bottom of the stroke, leading to inconsistent speed control and putts finishing well past the hole, or in some cases, well short!
So what should actually happen?
The goal through impact should be zero acceleration. This doesn't mean the putter stops moving. It means the putter head is moving through impact at a consistent speed, allowing the putter to transfer energy into the ball without any sudden increase or decrease in speed. Think of it like throwing a ball underarm. You wouldn't suddenly speed your hand up at the exact moment you release the ball—you create a smooth motion that transfers energy naturally.
This is one of the key metrics we can see when using CAPTO in a putting lesson. The acceleration graph gives us a clear picture of how the putter is moving throughout the stroke and, for many golfers, this is a real eye-opener. A lesson from one of the greatest
A great example of this concept comes from Tiger Woods.
Before the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach, Woods spoke with Ben Crenshaw—one of the greatest putters the game has ever seen. Crenshaw shared his belief in allowing the putter head to naturally get behind the hands and letting the weight of the putter head fall into the ball. The idea wasn't to force the putter through impact. It was about allowing the putter's natural movement and weight to create a consistent roll.
Following that advice, Woods went on to produce one of the greatest performances in major championship history, winning the US Open by 15 shots.
The takeaway:
Next time you practise your putting, don't think: "I need to accelerate through the ball."
Instead, think: "I need to create a smooth stroke where the putter arrives at impact with consistent speed."
Great putting isn't about adding more force at impact. It's about controlling the energy you already have.
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Drill of The Month 'Scoring Putts': The Ultimate Putting Test
 Good scoring on the golf course requires you to hole putts from a variety of distances and situations.
Some putts will be for birdie. Others will be to save par or protect a good score. The difference between great putters and average putters isn't just their ability to make one specific type of putt, it's their ability to adapt to different distances, slopes and pressures.
This month's drill is designed to replicate that challenge.
The Setup Choose four different holes on the putting green. Ideally, select holes with a variety of slopes and different levels of difficulty.
Around each hole, place tee pegs at:
This will leave you with 12 putts in total.
The key is that every putt should feel different—just like it does on the golf course.
The Challenge 1. Choose any putt to start with. 2. Hit the putt once. 3. If you hole the putt, record your success. 4. If you miss the putt, there is no second attempt. 5. Remove the tee peg and move to a different hole and a different distance.
Continue until you have completed all 12 putts.
Your final score is simply: Putts holed out of 12
How Do You Compare?
To give your score some context, here are the approximate PGA Tour make percentages: 3 feet: 99%6 feet: 70%9 feet: 47% This means that even the best players in the world don't expect to hole everything. The challenge is managing your expectations and improving your ability to execute under pressure.
For example:
Why This Drill Works
Most golfers practise putting by hitting the same putt repeatedly until they hole one. The problem is that this rarely happens on the course.
On the course, you only get one chance. Scoring Putts tests:
The best putters aren't those who never miss. They're the players who can give every putt their best chance when it matters.
Next time you're on the putting green, keep score. You might be surprised by the result.
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Equipment Bench Zero Torque Putters: The Future of Putting or Just Clever Marketing?
 If you've watched any videos promoting zero torque putters, you've probably seen the famous "revealer" test.
The putter is balanced on a pivot, swung back and through, and somehow the face stays remarkably square. It's impressive.
It's also brilliant marketing.
But here's the question nobody seems to ask: does that test bear any resemblance to how we actually putt?
The moment you place your hands on the grip, everything changes. Your grip pressure, wrist angles, forearm rotation and the forces you apply all introduce torque into the system. The putter is no longer free to behave as it did on a mechanical revealer. Every golfer applies torque through the grip to some degree, so is a "zero torque" putter really zero torque, or is it simply designed to resist twisting under a very specific test?
That's not to say these putters don't work. Many golfers genuinely putt better with them, including some tour players such as Adam Scott and JJ Spaun, and if a particular design gives you confidence over the ball, that's a real benefit. But confidence isn't created by marketing claims alone. It comes from knowing you can start the ball on your intended line, control your speed and read greens effectively.
The uncomfortable truth is that no putter can compensate for poor fundamentals. An inconsistent stroke, poor face control, bad green reading or weak distance control won't suddenly disappear because you've spent £500 on the latest technology.
For many golfers, that same money invested in a few high-quality putting lessons, combined with purposeful practice, is likely to deliver far greater improvements than any new flatstick.
Equipment should complement good technique, not replace it.
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Questions from The Lab 'From 3 Feet, Should I Just Take the Break Out of the Putt and Hit It Harder?'
 It's a question I get asked all the time, and the answer is: not usually.
Yes, a firmer putt will reduce the amount the ball breaks because it's travelling faster.
But the trade-off is that the hole effectively becomes smaller. A putt struck too firmly has less chance of dropping if it's slightly off line, and if you miss, you're often left with a longer, more uncomfortable comeback putt.
From three feet, your priority should be starting the ball on your intended line with a confident stroke, not trying to overpower the break.
Trust the read, commit to the line, and hit the putt with enough pace to finish around 12–18 inches past the hole if it misses.
That's generally the speed that gives you the best balance between allowing the ball to take the natural break and ensuring it reaches the hole.
The best putters don't ignore the break, they trust it.
Submit your question below that you'd like to be answered in next month's edition of The Putting Lab.
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