Open stance putting is a unique way to play the game that will impact your ability to make putts and score.

Golfers that use open stance putting are going against what is conventional, but sometimes, an open putting stance feels more natural to players.

Let’s take a more detailed look at what an open putting stance is, how it can help you lower your scores and whether or not it would be a good fit for your game.

What is an Open Putting Stance?

An open stance in putting is when your body is turned more towards the target. Most of the stances we take in golf have us set up square to the target with our shoulders, hips, knees, and feet all on a parallel line.

However, with an open stance, your front foot will be set up a bit more turned towards the target. When this happens, your entire body will be turned a bit more this way, allowing for a more straightforward look down the target line.

Golfers with an open stance tend to have much more ability to swing through toward the target as they are not restricted by a closed stance. However, as with any change in your golf game, there are always both positives and negatives to consider.

How to Put with an Open Stance

The best way to putt with an open stance is to set up your feet square. When I do this, I then like to get my feet a little more narrow and turn them towards the left of the target. The turning of the feet towards the left of the target (for a right-handed player) should, in turn, open the hips and the shoulders.

Once you have this in place, you can ensure your weight distribution is even between both of your feet; it’s also then essential to get the ball in the middle of your feet or slightly towards the front.

Once you have this setup and your alignment is correct, you can take your typical swing path and continue your stroke towards the target. For the best consistency, it is a good idea to work on the type of stroke you will take; many golfers with an open stance like the straight back and straight through style putting stroke.

Pros of an Open Putting Stance

The positives of a putting stroke tend to outweigh the negatives. However, you will have to test the effectiveness of this open putting stance to first ensure it is the right fit for you.

• Golfers feel more comfortable
• Can see the line better
• More natural distance control
• Consistent and repeatable swing path
• More involvement of the arms and less with the hands
• Feels less rigid than a closed or square stance

Cons of an Open Putting Stance

The biggest con of an open putting stance is that it can open you up to some unwanted movement in your golf putting stroke. Some players notice that their legs and hips start to sway, and that can be a problem. My solution here is to take a slightly narrower stance, and it usually does the trick.

• It can allow hips and lower body to sway
• If very open, it can be hard to get the club far enough back on a backswing
• Ball position may be off when first learning how to putt with an open stance

Pros Who Putt With an Open Stance

The open putting stance is a perfectly legal and acceptable way to put, and therefore it has been used on tour by many players. The most notable of these players is Jack Nicklaus. Jack Nicklaus certainly knew how to putt under pressure, and he ensured that his stance was always comfortable and stable before he took his stroke.

Jack Nicklaus is considered by many to be the greatest golfer of all time, and the fact that he putted in this way indeed tells us a lot about how this putter can perform. Golfers with an open stance while putting often feel that the ball can travel down the line with very little motion in the hands and wrists.

More and more golfers today are getting square and rigid with their strokes, and we will see this change through the years. Currently, it’s more common to be square than open, but that doesn’t mean we will see it stay this way forever.

How to Decide if an Open Putting Stance is Right for You

An open putting stance could be an excellent choice for your golf game, but there are a few things that you should consider before making this decision.

Also, remember that when making a significant change like this to your putting stroke, you will want to give yourself some time to practice it on the putting green before heading to the golf course.

Type of Putting Stroke

There are two basic ways to swing the putter. You can have a straight back/straight through putting stroke, or you can have more of an arc style. We have always found the straight back straight through to be better for the open stance putter.

When you have an arc style, the way the putter moves around the body can be a bit more difficult to manage with an open stance. This can come down to player preference, but it is something to consider when deciding if this is right for you.

Alignment Issues

One of the things that I always found to be beneficial with an open putting stance is alignment. Allowing yourself to line up with an open stance makes it incredibly easy to see the line in front of you.

With this line to the target being more visible, it makes a golfer feel as though they can start the ball on the line considerably easier. If you feel like you are making good putting strokes, but the ball doesn’t start down the line the way you want it to, the open putting stance could be the right fit for your game.

Trial and Error

Of course, the most important way to decide if an open putting stance is right for you is to try it on the green. You should know that you may not like the feel of this adjustment right away, and it does make sense to try it for a little while before deciding if it is good or bad.

I highly recommend putting from 5, 10, and 20 feet when trying out the open stance putting stroke. I always felt that it was an effortless adjustment in the short putts, but it took some time to get used to the longer putts.

In addition, if you are finding that you pull your putts to the left when switching to the open stance, it may make sense to close the stance just a little. Some golfers will overexaggerate this open feeling, and it doesn’t always work out.

Putter Type

The open putting stance can work for any type of putter you own. However, some large mallet putters can sometimes make it difficult on longer putts.

If you have a blade style or traditional mallet, the open putting stance is a bit easier. Keep this in mind as you make the switch and decide which type of putting stance will bring you the most consistency.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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Novi, MI – 2THUMB putting grip ambassador, Matt Wallace fired a final round 68 to take the lead at 16-under-par on Sunday at the Valero Texas Open.  Wallace then had to wait several hours in the clubhouse, while watching a dozen other contenders on the leaderboard, grind out the finishing holes. Conditions were wet, cold and windy at TPC San Antonio due to storms that blew through the area on Saturday causing the third round to be suspended and completed early Sunday morning.

Despite a marathon day, it was U.S. Open Champion, J.J. Spaun, who survived the weather delays and secured the win and his second Texas Open title (2022 & 2026).  Spaun hit two remarkable tee shots down the stretch, setting up a birdie on the par-3 16^th hole, followed by an eagle on the drivable par-4, 304-yard 17^th hole, resulting in a 5-under 67 and the one-shot victory.  Wallace finished T2 along with Michael Kim and Robert MacIntyre.

Wallace, from Watford, England, turned pro in 2012 and has six titles to his name across the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR.  For Wallace, a victory would have secured him a spot in the 2026 Masters this week. 

“I’ve played better the last few weeks than the results have shown. Mentally, I was very good this week,” said Wallace after his final round. “Patience is the worst word in golf, but you need a lot of it.  I had patience this week and it paid dividends.” 

Wallace uses 2THUMB’s Snug Tour 33 putting grip. He interlocks his fingers, so his palms are facing opposing each other, and as he grips the putter, he places his thumbs alongside one another. Known as the prayer grip, it allows Wallace’s shoulders to hang level, which promotes a pendulum putting motion. It also creates a triangle between his shoulders and hands, which makes it easier to rock back and forth.

A second 2THUMB player and winner of the 2018 Barracuda Championship, finished tied for fifth alongside Ludvig Auberg. The American PGA Tour player who turned pro in 2011, uses the 2THUMB STP 27.

2Thumb putting grips are approved by the USGA and R&A. They are an incredibly versatile grip that

accommodates a variety of putting grip styles, from Conventional, Claw, Left hand low, Prayer, etc.

For more information, go to www.usa.twothumbgrip.com. Photo: European Tour.

About 2THUMB GRIPS

2THUMB was founded in the U.K. in 2004 and has had great success on the DP World and PGA Tours. Former Super Stroke owner, Darin Dingman, launched 2THUMB Grips North America in 2022, based in Novi, Michigan. Dingman oversees product design, marketing, operations, and sales. 2THUMB grips come in six different models. Most models offer different cross-section dimensions and length options bringing the total to 18 available grips.  For product questions, samples and ordering, please contact 2THUMB at 877-999-0829.

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For many golfers, putting can be an afterthought. A part of their game that’s rarely given enough attention, compared to the likes of driving and teeing off. Yet putting is just as technical – described as a ‘game within the game’ – that you’ll need to master in order to be a well-rounded golfer.

If you want to be ruthless on the green and capitalise on your successful approaches, you’ll need to devote time to putting. And that includes experimenting with which putting style works best for you. Here, we’ll explain what the difference is between straight-through putting and arc putting, and we’ll give you tips on how you can try each to see which style gives you the best results.

What is a straight-through putting stroke?

With a straight-through stroke – also often called straight back, straight through (SBST) – you’re attempting to keep the putter moving straight along the target line throughout the putting stroke.

If you’re standing over your ball with your putter in hand, imagine a straight line running through the ball. Your backswing will travel along that line, as will your follow-through. Your club should strike the ball at a 90-degree angle (right angle) with the face flat. Imagine a pendulum-like motion, swinging smoothly back and forth along a straight line.

The theory with straight-through putting is that, as the putter travels straight and the face stays square, the ball should start on line, allowing you to more easily line up your putts. It’s a very controlled style of putting that should ideally give consistent results.

However, executing straight-through strokes perfectly is more complex than it sounds, as most golfers have some degree of arc (deviation from a straight line) in their putts. This is caused by their body mechanics, swing motion, and even the geometry of the putter.

What is an arc putting stroke?

Rather than a straight line, an arc putting stroke follows a gentle curve during the motion of the putter head.

If you’re standing over your ball, imagine a straight line running through it again. However, on your backswing, your putter will move in an arc that travels slightly inside this target line. Your swing returns to the line at impact, and then moves back inside the line on your follow-through. Your club face should open slightly on the backswing, strike the ball flat, then close slightly on the follow-through.

This curving movement isn’t arbitrary. It’s a result of natural biomechanics. Because the putter shaft is angled and your shoulders rotate around your spine, the club naturally swings on a tilted plane, creating an arc.

Although it may seem more complicated than straight-through putting, the idea with arc putting is that it follows a more natural motion and is more achievable than following a straight line, especially on longer putts. 

How to perform a straight-through putting stroke

To practice straight-through putting, you should:
 
1. Form a square setup, with:

• Your eyes directly over the ball
• Your shoulders parallel to the target line
• The ball positioned centrally

2. Keep the putter on line:

• Visualise a straight target line running through the ball
• Picture the putter moving straight back along this target line
• Use alignment aids or a putting mirror if you need to

3. Minimise face rotation:

• Keep the putter face square throughout your swing
• Focus on a smooth “pendulum” motion

4. Control the movement with your shoulders:

• As you swing, rock with your shoulders evenly
• Keep your wrists stable

5. Maintain a straight follow-through:

• Extend the putter down the target line after impact
• Avoid pulling across the ball

How to perform an arc putting stroke

To practice arc putting, you should:

1. Set up carefully:

• Position your ball slightly forward of centre
• Stand with your eyes slightly inside the ball
• Let your arms hang naturally

2. Focus on your shoulder rotation:

• Think of your shoulders rocking, not your hands
• Avoid any extraneous wrist movement

3. Allow yourself to follow the natural arc of your swing:

• Let the putter move slightly inside on the takeaway
• Don’t try to ‘keep it straight’. Trust the motion

4. Square the face at impact

• The goal of your swing is to make sure the putter’s face is squared at the point of impact
• Let the putter release naturally

5. Match your backswing and your follow-through

• Your backswing and follow-through should be symmetrical on either side of your ball
• Maintain a consistent rhythm and avoid deceleration through the ball

Which putting style is right for you: arc vs straight-through?

The simple answer is the one that works best for you.

Arc putting tends to be a more natural approach for many golfers, which results in a more fluid swing. However, some golfers will get better results by perfecting a straight-through putting style, benefitting from the control it offers.

Some golfers even find they can vary their putting approach, using an arc stroke for longer shots and straight-through putting for shorter shots (as it can be harder to achieve a straight line on longer swings). However, varying like this can be difficult, and isn’t usually recommended for beginner players.

The reality is that most golfers have some degree of arc during their swing, even if they consider themselves straight-through putters. Often, the real difference between the two styles is a subtle one in how much arc is present.

It’s a good idea to film your stroke from above, if you can, or to use putting aids such as alignment sticks around your putter to find out whether you naturally tend more towards arc or straight-through putting. Once you know which, you can focus on perfecting your putting with the style that suits you best.

Matching putters to your putting style

Once you have an idea of which putting style you prefer, you can also find the right putter to suit it, further helping to improve your game:

• Straight-through stroke: Typically suits face-balanced putters, as these are designed to stay square during the stroke.
• Arc stroke: Typically suits toe-hang putters, as these are designed to rotate naturally, which suits the arc motion.

However, as with your stroke style, choosing the right putter for you is also a question of experimentation to find what works best for your game.

Finding your putting style

No single putting style is arbitrarily better than the other. One of either arc or straight-through putting may suit your game better, or you may find you can use either style for different putts.   

The key is to stop forcing a technique that fights your natural motion. Instead, understand your stroke, match your equipment, and build a repeatable process so you can approach your putts with the confidence that comes from knowing you can control the line of your ball.

Arc vs straight-through putting FAQs

Which putting stroke is more common?

Whilst many golfers begin with straight-through putting, arc putting is usually more common as it aligns with how the body naturally moves during the stroke and typically leads to more fluid swings.

Which is easier, arc or straight-through putting?

As arc strokes follow a more natural movement of the body, many golfers find arc putting easier. However, this is a personal preference, and plenty of golfers prefer straight-through putting. Which style is easier will depend on you.

Is straight back and straight through (SBST) putting a myth?

Not entirely, but a perfectly straight stroke is extremely difficult to achieve. Most golfers will always have some degree of arc due to the angle of the putter and shoulder rotation. In reality, the difference between SBST and arc putting is more of a spectrum than two polar opposite approaches. 

Do professionals use arc or straight strokes?

Most professional golfers use a slight arc, although the amount varies. Very few players use a completely straight stroke, amateur or professional.

Why was anchored putting banned?

Anchored putting, where the putter is fixed against the body (such as the chest or chin), was banned by the R&A and USGA in 2016.

The governing bodies determined that anchoring reduced the challenge of the stroke by removing the need to control the club freely, which they felt was a fundamental skill in golf. The ban specifically targets the act of anchoring, not the use of long putters themselves.

Does AimPoint putting actually work?

Yes, AimPoint can be highly effective when used correctly.

AimPoint is a green-reading system that uses feel and slope percentages to determine break. Many tour professionals rely on it because it provides a structured, repeatable way to read greens.

However, its effectiveness depends on your ability to use it effectively.  For amateur golfers, AimPoint can be extremely helpful, but only if you commit to learning the system properly.

Specialist golf insurance through Golf Care

Before you head out onto the course to practice your putting strokes, you may want to consider protecting yourself and your golf equipment with specialist golf insurance. Get a quote online today.

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AimPoint golf is a system devised to help you out with the final flourish at the end of a hole – the putt. While many amateur golfers focus on getting maximum distance when teeing off or using their irons, it’s too easy to fall into the trap of assuming that, just because you’ve made the distance with your earlier strokes, an accurate putt will automatically follow. This isn’t always the case.

AimPoint golf exists to help you fix this problem. In this guide, we’ll walk you through what it is, how it works, and whether it could change your game if putting the icing on the cake is your biggest weakness.

What is AimPoint putting?

The brainchild of software developer Mark Sweeney, AimPoint is a system for putting the ball that focuses not on what your eyes can see, but on what your feet can feel.

It all comes down to reading the green. Understanding how your ball is going to break based on the unique landscape of the green is crucial in determining where exactly your ball is going to end up.

The idea of the AimPoint method is to work this out as accurately as possible.

Sweeney used his background in software development to put data into the putting game, and the results were stark. As far as he’s concerned, it’s the most reliable method when it comes to putting, and that’s an opinion shared by some of the very best golfers around. Former world number one Adam Scott uses the system, and Sweeney has taught fellow stars such as Nick Faldo, Tommy Fleetwood and Lydia Ko.

In other words, he knows his stuff.

How to putt using AimPoint

This is what you need to know when putting using AimPoint.

Assigning a percentage 

The first step in using the AimPoint method is assessing the terrain, which involves a percentage system.

Stand roughly halfway between your ball and the hole with your feet shoulder-width apart. What you’ll likely notice is that there is more weight on one foot than the other, as it’s being pulled further down by gravity. In other words, you’ll be able to work out which direction the green slopes.

So, if you feel more weight on your left foot than your right, you know you’ll have to aim your putt to the right, because gravity will pull it down to the left.

This is where the percentage system comes in. Once you’ve identified how the green slopes in terms of direction, you now need to establish how steep the slope is.

Here, you’ll assign a percentage value between one and five, one being a shallow slope, and five being a noticeably steep slope. The steeper the slope and the bigger the difference between the high point and the low point of the relevant section of the green, the bigger the impact gravity will have on the trajectory of your putt.

The difficult thing about this is that discerning what a shallow slope feels like compared to a steep one takes effort, practice, and, most importantly, time. At first, assigning these percentages may feel fairly arbitrary. It will be difficult at first to instinctively know just how much steeper a three is compared to a four, for example. That’s why AimPoint golf is a system that requires patience.

Tackling your slope and taking your shot

Once you’ve assigned a percentage value to the slope, the real magic happens.

Say you’ve assigned a percentage of three to your slope, with the high point coming on the right:

• Stand behind your ball, close one eye, and hold your right hand up so the middle of your index finger appears as if it’s immediately to the right of the hole.
• Your slope is three per cent, so you’ll hold three fingers up – your index finger, which is aligned with the hole, your middle finger and your ring finger.
• The edge of your ring finger – in line with the hole – is where you’re going to aim your putt.

The same would be true if you assigned a value of one, two, four or five. The percentage of the slope directly corresponds with the number of fingers you use to aim your shot. The steeper the slope, the further away from your hole you have to aim.

Giving it time

This technique takes a lot of practice, time, and patience, but it is worth it, as countless professionals who use the system prove. 
These are the basics of the AimPoint putting method, but there’s only so much that can be achieved without a session with an expert. There are over 300 certified AimPoint coaches, and a session with one of them will offer more insight and personal advice than is possible here.

Is AimPoint foolproof?

AimPoint may be a method trusted by various PGA Tour pros and extremely high-level players, but that doesn’t mean it’s foolproof.

As mentioned before, with proper training and plenty of practice, it seems that AimPoint can have a hugely positive effect on your putting game. But it’s not guaranteed, and it does have its critics.

This method involves spending quite a lot of time discerning the slope. Assigning that percentage can involve movement throughout the green, and the reliance on how the slope feels rather than how it looks means it’s not a quick process. In fact, that’s pretty much the whole point. As a result, the pace of play can be slowed down by AimPoint, and so it’s not universally popular among all golfers.

However, if you really struggle with putting, AimPoint is definitely worth trying.

Specialist golf insurance through Golf Care

Now that you’ve learnt how to use a new skill out on the course, you may want to consider getting specialist golf insurance. Specialist golf insurance through Golf Care can help financially protect you and your clubs in the event of an accident.

Find out more or get a quick online quote today.

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(BUFFALO, N.Y.) – GENIUS – a new, first-of-its-kind golf ball featuring embedded electronics that capture crucial putting data – will debut at the 2026 PGA Merchandise Show in Booth 1715.

Benefitting golfers of all abilities and PGA coaches, GENIUS is the only regulation-size, regulation-weight smart golf ball that looks, feels and rolls like a premium, Tour-quality ball.  Its core contains a sophisticated sensor array that identifies the moment of impact, plus skid and roll of the ball, resulting in precise data that external devices cannot reliably detect. 

Crucial performance metrics like velocity, launch angle, side spin, skid distance, roll characteristics, deceleration pattern, consistency across strokes and green speed are captured and, using proprietary algorithms, processed and delivered via Bluetooth to the GENIUS app on a user’s smartphone.

The GENIUS app then instantaneously shares actionable feedback specific to each user’s unique putting stroke.  The guided sessions improve alignment, direction and distance control, skid and roll quality, lag putting and other core disciplines.

Developed over five years of intense R&D by leading golf ball engineers formerly with Titleist, TaylorMade and Srixon, GENIUS delivers pinpoint-accurate insights at a fraction of the cost of high-end indoor putting studio systems. Two-time PGA Championship winner Dave Stockton, Sr., along with his fellow acclaimed putting coaches and sons Dave, Jr. and Ron Stockton, heavily contributed to GENIUS’s groundbreaking technology.

“Putting is where pros make money and amateurs make memories, and in my 35 years of teaching, I’ve never worked with a product as consequential as GENIUS,” said Ron Stockton.  “It will change how I teach and stay connected to my players 24/7.”

“Data has historically been focused on the full swing despite putting accounting for 40 to 45% of the average golfer’s strokes,” said Mike Jordan, Chief Executive Officer of GENIUS and a 25-year veteran of golf ball innovation.  “This imbalance is where the breakthrough GENIUS fits – electronics inside a golf ball identify exact problems and associated fixes, keeping the complicated super simple.”

To prevent potential information overload, captured putting data is distilled down to a GENIUS Stroke Score, a simple benchmark that tracks elite-level patterns and improvement and, through the GENIUS app, compares performance against the broader GENIUS community.

GENIUS is effective outdoors on practice greens – for everything from tap-ins to long lag putts – and indoors on mats, floors and carpets.  There is no need for setup, face stickers or alignment rods – just drop a ball and start rolling putts.

The GENIUS ball boasts a battery life of around 10,000 putts.  When a ball nears its end-of-life, the GENIUS system will automatically detect it as long as a user’s subscription is active and ship a free replacement.

Three GENIUS balls, a carrying case and annual app subscription is $240.  Initial product shipments are planned for Q2 2026 with pre-orders taken at the PGA Show. 

About GENIUS

GENIUS is a sports tech company with putting as the first application of its patented smart golf ball and future uses planned for all clubs in the bag.  Meticulously engineered to significantly improve putting, it is the first, new and only ball of its kind with electronics inside.  Data is transmitted from the ball to a user’s phone, measuring skid, stimp, side spin, launch angle, face angle, distance, roll stability and more.  Playing like a Tour-level ball, GENIUS shows golfers how to intuitively use the data to putt more on-line and in the hole.

More information: www.geniusball.golf, info@geniusball.golf, @thegeniusball (Instagram)

Stephen Reynolds
Reynolds Media Group
stephen@reynoldsmediagrp.com
703-344-6031

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