Range PracticePutting Putter Expert / Intermediate ⏱ 17 min 🇫🇷 Video in French

Matthieu Pavon's Putting Exercises: Proper Stance

Name: Matthieu Pavon's Putting Exercises: Proper Stance
Uploaded: 2023-01-17T12:00:00+00:00
Duration: 17 min 23 s
Channel: Matthieu Pavon
Description: Over the course of a year, Matthieu Pavon has improved his putting. Not by changing his stroke, but by changing the way he practices. On the putting green at the French Open, he demonstrates the pre-shot routine he follows every morning, even on tournament days.

Over the course of a year, Matthieu Pavon has improved his putting. Not by changing his stroke, but by changing the way he practices. On the putting green at the French Open, he demonstrates the pre-shot routine he follows every morning, even on tournament days.

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Matthieu Pavon · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

14 minSame problemMatsuyama's one-handed drill: his key to the wedgeHideki Matsuyama · Intermediate / Expert 21 minSame problemXander Schauffele's Putting Drills: Aim and PaceXander Schauffele · Intermediate / Expert 3 minFrom the same proMatthieu Pavon's chip selection: 58, 52, or 9-ironMatthieu Pavon · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

According to his putting coach, his technique was already good. What was missing was consistency. Hence, here's a rule: each exercise is done with the same posture. Pavon marks spots on the ground with a marker to indicate where his feet should be and makes marks on his putter to indicate the distance to the ball and his position in his stance. If the putter remains the same distance from the ball, he moves in the same way. When a flaw appears, he adjusts these setup parameters, not his swing.

His technical session lasts 15 minutes. First, the start line, with a plate equipped with small marbles: if the ball hits the marble on the right or the left, he knows it right away. Then the contact and speed, on a flat putt: each ball must touch the one before it, forming a line of balls. He does five sets of five balls at various distances. Only then does he move on to the actual game: sinking lots of putts from less than 16 to 5 yards. His advice to amateurs: a simple, repeated pre-shot routine one to three months before passing judgment.

The Exercise, Step by Step

Check your stance: floor markings for your feet, and markers for distance and ball position.
Start with a ball-release drill (using a goal or a ball-release board).
Choose a flat putt with no slope.
Throw the first ball, then try to make each subsequent ball hit the one before it.
Do five sets of five throws, varying the distance each time.
Once you've calibrated it, move on to games where you have to sink putts from less than 16 to 5 yards.

Key Takeaways

Consistency comes from both training and technique.

All exercises are performed in the same position, marked on the floor.

A defect is corrected by installation, not by the stroke.

First, the ball release; then, aiming; then, the game.

Having players hit the previous ball helps them work on contact and speed.

You can't judge a pre-shot routine after just one session—you need to wait one to three months.

Mistakes to Avoid

Change your posture from one exercise to the next.
Adjust your stroke as soon as a putt goes wrong.
Practice your technique while aiming for the hole.
Change your pre-shot routine every week.
Always make the same putt, without varying the distances or your approach.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

15-Minute Drill: Dribbling Out, Then Contact
Five sets of five balls touching each other, at various distances
Puts from less than 16 to 5 yards
Long-putt contest to wrap things up

Your Questions

Why does Matthieu Pavon mark his stance on the ground?

To replicate the exact same setup for every putt. According to him, if the distance to the ball changes, the putter no longer moves the same way, and the stroke goes off course.

What is the ball plate used for?

It provides an immediate response when the ball is struck: the ball goes straight down the middle, or hits the right or left ball. Pavon uses it every morning, even during tournaments.

How do you do the exercise where the ball hits the one before it?

On a flat putt, he hits the first ball, and then each subsequent ball must touch the one before it. He plays five sets of five balls, at different distances.

What should you do if the ball always goes out on the same side?

Pavon doesn't change his swing; he adjusts a setup parameter, such as the ball's position in his stance or his distance from the ball.

Learn More

All “Practice” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you All “Putting” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Xander Schauffele's Putting Drills: Aim and PaceWith his putting coach Derek Uyeda, Schauffele calibrates his eyes and aim (using a board, string, and plates) and then works on controlling his stroke based on the ball's roll time. Rickie Fowler's Green Reading, Step by StepRickie Fowler reads the putt from the low side, starting from the point where the ball enters the hole, checks his setup in the mirror, and strikes the ball with a centered contact. Matsuyama's one-handed drill: his key to the wedgeMatsuyama begins his practice sessions with one-handed approaches—first with his left hand, then with his right—to “guide” the ball onto the clubface and connect his short game with his long game. Matthieu PavonAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Matthieu Pavon). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.