Want to shave strokes off your game? Look no further than the masters of the craft! Golf’s greatest champions have perfected their techniques through countless hours of practice and competitive pressure. While we might not have their natural talent, we can certainly learn from their hard-earned wisdom. From sand traps to perfect putting, these five champions share their most valuable lessons that could transform your game. Let’s dive into the secrets that helped these legends secure multiple major championships!

1. Read Green Grain with Ben Hogan’s expertise

Ben Hogan, renowned for his meticulous attention to detail, provided invaluable insight on how to read the grain of greens. “If you can see a shine on the green, it means that you are putting down the grain of the green. The ball is going to travel very fast,” Hogan explained. This subtle visual cue can make all the difference in your distance control. Look carefully at the putting surface from different angles to identify these shiny sections before making your stroke.

When assessing break, Hogan advised paying special attention to the grain direction. “When I see a shine on the grass on the right side in lining up a putt, I play to the right even if I don’t see a break in the green in that direction… I know the grain is running from right to left.” Additionally, Hogan shared geographic insights that remain relevant today: “When playing mountain courses, remember that putts will always break away from the mountains. That is true, even if in ‘reading the greens’ it doesn’t look that way to you.” Similarly, on coastal courses, expect putts to break seaward due to natural drainage patterns. Apply these environmental factors to your green reading for dramatically improved accuracy.

2. Develop a methodical putting routine like Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods‘s systematic approach to putting has made him one of the greatest pressure putters in golf history. Watch Woods on the green, and you’ll see him methodically work through a consistent routine for each putt. Create your routine that examines every aspect of your putt before stroking the ball. Start by walking to a midpoint between your ball and the hole to assess the second half of the break. Check if the putt runs uphill or downhill and identify the grain direction—look for a shine on the green which indicates you’re putting down-grain, meaning the ball will roll faster.

Take two deliberate practice strokes like Woods does, and on the second one, look toward the hole to connect your body to the target. Place your putter behind the ball precisely where you want it, take one final confirming look, then execute with total commitment. Woods’s methodical approach builds remarkable consistency. The key to this routine isn’t just going through the motions—it’s being fully present for each step, absorbing all the information your eyes and feet provide about the upcoming putt.

3. Read greens like a pro with Rory McIlroy’s visualization

Rory McIlroy, the 2025 Masters champion, has shared that his green reading relies heavily on visualization. “If I know that it looks like more of a constant slope, I sort of like to visualize if I started this ball straight at the middle of the hole, how far left of the hole would it miss,” McIlroy explains. Adopt this technique: For putts on a constant slope, imagine starting your ball straight at the middle of the hole and visualize how far left or right it would miss. Then aim in the opposite direction at an equivalent distance.

McIlroy doesn’t stare at the distant hole when putting, either. “What I’ll try to do is pick an intermediate target so I can aim at that,” he says. Select an intermediate target just inches in front of your ball to improve alignment accuracy. This technique simplifies the complex task of aiming and helps ensure your putt starts on your intended line. When assessing a break, walk around the hole to feel slope changes with your feet—the physical sensation often reveals subtle breaks your eyes might miss.

4. Master your putting routine with Nancy Lopez’s approach

Nancy Lopez, winner of 48 LPGA Tour events and three major championships, emphasizes the importance of a consistent pre-putt routine to prevent carelessness on the greens. According to Lopez, the only way to prevent nonchalance on the greens is to adopt a specific, unvarying routine before every shot. She believes in treating every putt with equal importance—not taking more time for a short putt than for a drive, but not taking less time either. Her approach is methodical: choose your line, set up to your line, then hit the putt. Once this routine becomes habitual for all shots, you won’t take an easy putt for granted.

For those nerve-wracking short putts, Lopez recommends a practical drill to build confidence: Place a spot on your line a few inches in front of the ball and put a ball marker on that spot. When putting, keep the putterhead moving until it moves over the ball marker. This technique creates crisp acceleration through impact, eliminating the deceleration that causes most misses. Lopez also shares a clever visualization technique for distance control—to ensure you don’t leave putts short, visualize another hole about a foot behind the real one as your target. This mental approach helps eliminate the common amateur mistake of consistently leaving putts short of the hole. Implement these techniques during your next practice session to develop the putting confidence that made Lopez one of the game’s greatest champions.

5. Improve your putting with Inbee Park’s tension-free stroke

Inbee Park has consistently dominated LPGA putting statistics for years, leading in putts per round and putts per green in regulation on multiple occasions. According to teaching pro Suzy Whaley, “The key to Inbee’s stroke is the total lack of tension in her arms and shoulders. If you were to walk up and grab her putter at address, you could pull it out of her hands.” Emulate this approach by eliminating tension from your arms and shoulders. Hold the putter with such light pressure that someone could easily pull it from your hands at address.

Park has used her Odyssey White Ice Sabertooth mallet-head putter with a cross-handed grip for years. Consider trying this combination—the cross-handed grip naturally squares the putter face and prevents excess wrist action, while mallet putters provide forgiveness on off-center strikes. Anne Cain, a master instructor at the PGA Tour Academy, notes that an underrated part of Park’s putting is her green-reading ability: “She also has the same routine every time, and when she puts, there’s a wonderful rhythm and pace there.” Develop a consistent pre-putt routine and stick with it religiously to create the rhythm and confidence needed to hole pressure putts.

Which of these techniques are you most excited to try during your next round? Are bunkers your nemesis, or do you struggle more with those tricky breaking putts? Let us know in the comments section below, and share any results after you’ve put these champion-level tips into practice!