Why do I keep missing short putts?

Usually because the putter face is slightly open or closed at impact. Face aim controls most of a short putt's start line, so small aim errors miss the hole.

Is putting aim or stroke more important on short putts?

On short, straight putts, face aim at impact matters most because there is little room for path to influence the ball. Diagnose aim before rebuilding your stroke.

How do I fix my short putting?

Check setup alignment, square the face before each putt, and use a tee-gate start-line drill to confirm the ball starts where you aim.

← Blog · Method · 9 August 2026 · 4 min read

Short-putt aim vs stroke — which is costing you?

Most missed short putts are an aiming problem, not a stroke problem. Here is how to tell the difference in ten minutes on the practice green.

By Doug Dinwiddie. Founder of ProPlace. Former DP World Tour caddie.

Answer first: most missed short putts are an aiming problem, not a stroke problem. Where the putter face points at impact controls the overwhelming majority of a short putt's starting line, so a face that is open or closed at address quietly sends good strokes off target.

Why the face dominates on a short putt

On a short putt there is very little time or distance for path to bend the ball. The face angle at impact dominates the start direction, and on a straight putt the start direction is almost the whole story. That is why a player can make a smooth, on-line stroke and still lip out: the stroke was fine, the face was aimed a degree or two off, and over four to six feet that is enough to miss.

What a face-aim error is

This is what we call a face-aim error: a mismatch between where you think you are aimed and where the face is actually pointing at impact. It hides well because it feels like bad luck. You blame the read or the stroke, re-groove the path, and keep missing, because the real fault sits in setup and alignment.

How to tell which is costing you

To tell which is costing you, separate the two. Put a gate of two tees just wider than the ball a foot in front of the hole and roll short putts through it: if you keep clipping the same side, your aim or face control is the issue, not your stroke. Check your setup alignment with a mirror or a chalk line, and have someone film down the line. If the face is square and you still miss, then look at tempo and path.

What to fix first

Fixing aim is usually faster than rebuilding a stroke. A consistent setup routine, a square face check before every short putt, and a start-line drill will hole more of the four-to-six footers that decide most rounds.

For the longer putts that leak the same strokes, read why do I keep three-putting. For where the rest of your strokes go, driver distance vs approach play sets out which part of the long game actually moves your card, and the pillar guide, what is strokes gained, explains how putting is measured alongside the other three categories.

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Doug Dinwiddie — Founder of ProPlace. Former DP World Tour caddie.

ProPlace is a golf statistical-analysis and research product, not a tipster or bookmaker. 18+. Please gamble responsibly, BeGambleAware.org.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I keep missing short putts?: Usually because the putter face is slightly open or closed at impact. Face aim controls most of a short putt's start line, so small aim errors miss the hole.
Is putting aim or stroke more important on short putts?: On short, straight putts, face aim at impact matters most because there is little room for path to influence the ball. Diagnose aim before rebuilding your stroke.
How do I fix my short putting?: Check setup alignment, square the face before each putt, and use a tee-gate start-line drill to confirm the ball starts where you aim.