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Metrics

Back Stroke Length

What is Back Stroke Length?

Back Stroke Length is the length the putter face travels in the Back Stroke from address to the top of the Back Stroke. Back Stroke Length is measured in inches and is one of the 3 main elements of distance control, along with Stroke Timing and Stroke Speed. A best practice for this metric is to ensure the putter face is close to the back of the golf ball at address before starting your stroke. Think of the Blast sensor as a ruler for your putting stroke.

Why is Back Stroke Length important?

Back Stroke Length is important because it is a major factor in hitting a putt the correct distance. Most golfers struggle with distance control because their Back Stroke Length changes on putts of the same distance, and so does their Back and Forward Stroke Timing. This makes it very difficult to create a consistent stroke, and get your ball rolling the correct speed to the hole. Think of repeating Stroke Timing on every putt as step one, adjusting Back Stroke Length as step 2.

What should Back Stroke Length be?

The goal of Back Stroke Length is to make an appropriate sized stroke to hit the ball the correct distance. Your Back Stroke Length will depend on a conditions… the stimp of the green, the slope of the green, and the distance of putt. On a flat portion of a medium stimp green, on a 3 foot putt, a good Back Stroke Length goal is approximately 4.5 inches. On a 6 foot putt, Back Stroke Length should be approximately 6 inches, and a 12 foot putt should be about 8.5 inches. These are great baseline numbers to strive for, but will have to be adjusted base on the green conditions. Make a longer Back Stroke if putting uphill or on a slower stimp green, and shorter Back Stroke if putting downhill or on a faster stimp green. Putts from the same location should have the same Back Stroke Length repeated to within 1 inch.

How do you improve Back Stroke Length?

Our favorite Back Stroke Length drill is the Back Stroke Length Progression drill. The goal of this drill is to build an efficient and repeatable stroke to become a distance control master. Find a flat or zero degree slope, grab 3 tees, and place a tee at 3, 6, and 12 feet. First, hit 3 putts at each distance finding the Back Stroke Length that gets the ball rolling into the center of the hole with perfect pace. Next, hit 3 more putts from each distance, trying to repeat your ideal Back Stroke Length to hit the ball the appropriate distance within 1 inch on each putt. Focus on the feel of your consistent Back Stroke Length. What does too long feel like? What does too short feel like? Once you are confident in the first 3 distances, take the drill to the next level by putting on different slopes, breaks, and longer distances. To become a master at this drill complete it in levels, repeating Stroke Timing on every putt as Level 1, and adjusting Back Stroke Length as Level 2.