Should I use a shorter backstroke on faster greens?

Q: Jerry writes "When I play at a course that has faster greens than I'm used to, should I use a shorter back stroke or keep the same back stroke and adjust my stroke to find the distance control needed?"

A: Jerry - That is a great question, and I'm betting a lot of people wonder about it, too.

I have asked several teachers the same question, and their answer is consistent.

You want to develop a consistent tempo to your stroke and use it regardless of speed, slope, or distance of putt.  The adjustment is to hit the putt a "shorter" distance on faster greens, and "longer" on slower greens.  For instance, if your normal greens run at 9 on the stimp meter and your backswing is 9" for a 9' putt, then you would have a shorter backswing to hit the ball shorter on faster greens - although the ball would roll 9'.

The most important thing is to keep your tempo the same with all putts.  It builds consistency of contact and speed control ... and confidence.

Our brains are amazing and can adjust very quickly.  If you can add 5 minutes of lag putting to your warm-up routine, you will add enormous confidence on the course.

Please let me know if this is clear and if it helps.