How to Putt From a Top Tier
It's only half a putt — the rest is gravity
By Donald Crawley
Top 100 Teachers

This story is for you if...

• You play a course with many multilevel greens.

• When you putt downhill, the ball always races past the hole and out of your makeable range.

The Situation
Your approach shot carried too far and your ball is on the back tier of a green that slopes back to front.

The Solution
This is a bit more complicated than an ordinary downhill putt. If you don't get the ball to the precipice, the ball will stay on the tier you're standing on, so you can't hit it soft like you do on a straight downhiller. Your goal is to roll the ball at the speed that allows it to just reach the cusp of the tier. The rest is gravity.