Are Putting Lessons Worth It? We Surveyed Over 100 Golfers

The number of putts a golfer takes during a round makes up around 40% of their score no matter their skill level.

And since the stats gurus highlight you can make the quickest (although not the biggest!) scoring gains by cleaning up big mistakes with your short game – for example by reducing the number of 3-putts you take – investing time in your putting game seems like an obvious decision.

Yet many golfers hesitate when considering specialised putting lessons, wondering if they’re truly worth the investment.

Golfing Focus’ view on this topic is though very clear cut – putting lessons are worth it for golfers of all skills levels.

Starting at just $15 (£11) with a specialist putting coach, they provide expert analysis and targeted feedback that ensures your practice is purposeful and effective.

Such focused instruction can correct fundamental flaws, improve technique, and rebuild confidence on the greens—often delivering the fastest route to lower scores.

Different golfers of course have challenges with different parts of the game.

And many believe their money is better spent on swing lessons to hit the ball longer and straighter rather than on putting instruction, which appears to be a simpler skill to master initially.

We would also never argue against spending money on quality golf lessons.

But based on my own experience I can hand on heart putting lessons are worth including in your golf instruction mix, particularly in today’s world where online coaching makes it possible to receive instruction from even the best putters in the history of the PGA Tour!

Do Putting Lessons Help? My Experience Says Yes Without A Doubt

A while back I was facing a crisis of confidence on the greens.

Despite being a single-figure handicapped golfer for most of my golfing life I was having a terrible time with my putting, consistently struggling to register less than 40 putts per round.

Determined to address the issue, I initially took the self-help route.

I invested in several putting mats to practice at home, in an effort to encourage me to spend more time working on my putting stroke.

I even reviewed seven of the most popular putting mats on the market to find the best practice solution.

What was most interesting about this review exercise though were the numerous comments that quickly followed from well-meaning viewers offering their diagnosis of my putting woes.

Looking at the feedback, a clear consensus emerged: the toe of my putter was sitting too far off the ground during my stroke.

And according to the amateur coaches a number of fixes would solve all my putting problems:

• Stand more upright
• Get the putter inline with my forearms
• Change my putting grip etc etc.

The issue with this advice though was that the proposed changes meant I had to change my putting technique which caused even worse results.

Frustrated with my ever deteriorating putting, I therefore decided to invest in professional guidance.

Through an online coaching platform called Skillest, I booked a lesson with a specialist putting coach—but not just any coach.

Among the hundreds of available coaches throughout the world I was able to get an online putting lesson with none other than Greg Chalmers – one of only four players in PGA Tour history to have led the Tour in strokes gained putting for multiple seasons!

If anyone could diagnose what was truly happening with my putting stroke, I felt confident it would be it would be someone with his putting credentials.

After reviewing the various videos I sent to him he identified the issue straight away.

And to be fair the YouTube commenters were partially correct—the lie angle of my putter was indeed problematic, with the toe sitting too far off the ground.

However, his analysis went deeper. From the transcripts of our lesson he said as follows:

“Basically when (the toe of the putter is way up in the air) it’s tough to hit it out of the middle of the putter because the middle of the putter is not flush to the ground. And it also affects start lines, so quite often the ball will start left of target because of that.

What surprised me though and gave my a huge confidence boost was his assessment of my actual stroke.

While I had been ready to overhaul my entire putting technique, Chalmers observed:

“You have a pretty nice stroke. Like it goes pretty straight back, pretty straight through. I’m not going to change a lot here … it’s just hard to be really consistent because you can’t hit the middle of the putter.

His solution was then refreshingly simple: don’t go out and buy a new putter.

But try first having my current putter bent to a flatter lie angle (approx 3-4º) so the it would sit flusher to the ground, enabling me to be more consistent.

Within one lesson, I had a clear path forward.

Instead of reconstructing my entire putting technique, I followed Greg’s advice and had my putter adjusted.

The results were immediate and dramatic. My confidence returned, and my putting performance improved significantly.

In a follow-up lesson, Chalmers then noted:

“I really like your stroke (and) I love that you’ve got your putter adjusted. I think that’s the right thing to do. Your eye line looks much better.”

He then offered additional fine-tuning drills to work on stabilising my lower body, while emphasising maintaining what was already working well.

Given the confidence this has given me back on the greens it highlights the fundamental value of professional putting lessons.

While I could, and did, try various things myself, and well-meaning amateurs could identify what the issue was, Greg’s targeted approach:

• saved me countless hours of frustration attempting ineffective fixes, and
• prevented me dismantling aspects of my putting that were actually strengths.

Based on this experience therefore , I can unequivocally say that putting lessons are worth the investment.

The combination of expert analysis, personalized feedback, and focused solutions delivered value far exceeding the cost of the lesson.

[Editor’s note – For those of you interested in getting coaching from renowned golf instructors anywhere in the world GET 15% OFF ANY LESSON PURCHASE AND 15% OFF THE FIRST MONTH OF A SUBSCRIPTION at Skillest – https://golfingfocus.com/product/skillest-online-golf-coaching/ – BY USING OUR DISCOUNT CODE – GOLFINGFOCUS15.]

Survey Results: What 100+ Golfers Think About The Worth Of Putting Lessons

While most golfers readily accept the value of swing lessons, specialized putting instruction remains less common.

It is difficult to know why exactly this is but to better understand golfers’ perspectives on the value of putting lessons, we conducted a survey with over 100 respondents.

And Golfing Focus’ survey of 100+ golfers asking the question – are putter lessons worth it – found that:

• 57% said putting lessons are worth it for anyone.
• 8% stated they only help beginners/high handicappers
• 10% were of the view you should only get them from a recognized putting coach
• 5% stated a preference for a putter fitting.
• 20% believed they are a waste of money.

These results tell an interesting story.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents recognised value in putting instruction – either through direct lessons or putter fittings.

Yet a significant minority—one in five golfers—considered putting lessons a complete waste of money and time.

The 20% who view putting lessons as wasteful might reflect a common misconception that putting is “simple” and merely requires practice rather than instruction.

However, as demonstrated in our personal experience section, expert analysis can identify issues that thousands of practice putts might never resolve.

The 5% who prefer putter fittings raise another important point.

A proper putter fitting offers valuable insights into a golfer’s stroke and often includes instructional elements.

As noted by Golf.com, “A good putter fitting process will be the combination of an evaluation of the best putter for you combined with a putting lesson.”

Our survey results of regular amateurs therefore suggest that the majority are of the view putting lessons offer value to golfers across the skill spectrum — from beginners establishing fundamentals to experienced players refining their technique or overcoming specific challenges.

The key of course is finding the right instruction approach for your individual needs!

Do You Want Free, Online or In-Person Putting Lessons?

When considering putting instruction, it’s important to understand the different formats available and what each offers.

Free Online Resources vs. Paid Instruction

YouTube and other online platforms offer abundant free putting instruction.

While these can be valuable resources, they lack the personalised feedback that makes professional instruction more effective.

As my experience showed, generic online advice led me to make changes that worsened my putting. One targeted tip from the right instructor proved much more valuable.

Putting lessons also set themselves apart from following free advice online based on the fact that you will get personal feedback on ‘how’ you are implementing any tips.

In-Person vs. Online Lessons

In-Person Lessons allow instructors to physically guide your positioning and provide immediate feedback in a focused learning environment. These typically cost between $75-$150 (£45-£150) for a 60-minute session.

Online lessons have evolved significantly and now allow golfers access to putting instructors worldwide (like my lessons with Greg Chalmers which you can watch a section of below).

These come in two main formats:

• Recorded Video Analysis: You submit videos of your stroke and receive detailed feedback
• Live Virtual Sessions: Real-time instruction via video call.

The variance in the costs of putting lessons can of course be wide and varied, and often dependent on the profile of the coach.

But based on our research into PGA qualified instructors in the US and the UK here’s what you can expect to pay on average.

PUTTING LESSON TYPE	USA	UK
Online lesson (Recorded Video Analysis)	$15 – $225	£12 – £99
Online lesson (Live Zoom Session – 30 minutes)	$50 – $120	£40 – £96
Private lesson (60 minutes)	$75 – $150	£45 – £150

Finding the Right Putting Coach

Not all putting lessons are the same. So it’s important to find a coach who understands your style, strengths, and weaknesses.

Just as you likely preferred some school teachers over others, the same applies to putting coaches.

Take time to research instructors whose teaching style aligns with your learning preferences.

And in today’s online world this is much easier to do with many putting coaches publishing social media content or offering free initial online lessons.

Consider whether you want a specialist putting coach or a general instructor who can help with multiple aspects of your game.

Both approaches have merit depending on your needs.

The most valuable aspect of professional putting lessons is the feedback loop they create.

“If you’ve got a putter that works keep it! Don’t change it for changes sake as you’ll probably ruin it”

simon cooper, master club fitter at precision golf

Improving putting, like any skill, requires “deliberate practice”.

And if you have ever wondered why you can get worse no matter how much you play a lack of focused, goal-orientated practice combined with expert feedback is most likely the reason.

A good putting instructor provides real-time feedback on your technique, corrects subtle errors, and helps refine your stroke in ways that can be difficuly for amateur golfers to achieve on their own.

In my case, finding Greg Chalmers—a coach whose teaching style matched my learning preferences—made all the difference in my putting improvement.

He identified what was working well in my stroke, kept things simple as I requested while addressing the specific equipment issue that was causing problems.

With some research to find an instructor suited to your needs, we would therefore confidently argue putting lessons can provide exceptional value and a direct path to less putts and lower scores!

Before You Go …

If you are struggling on the greens and what to focus on the one key thing that will make the most difference to your putting check out our next article to find out what is.

Good Putting Numbers – It’s About 3 Putts Not Putts per Round

[Note – Just so you know, and we are upfront as an affiliate program participant, Golfing Focus, at no cost to you, earns from qualifying purchases made through links on this page.]

More great articles related to this topic:

• Is a Putter Fitting Worth it? It Removes a Variable or Three
• Best Places to Get Fitted for Golf Clubs – Full Guide (with Best Fitter Seach List)
• What Percentage of Putts Do Pros Make? TV Does Not Tell the Story
• What Is the Best Practice Putting Mat? An Owner of 7 Reviews
• What Putters do the Pros Use? Top 100 PGA Tour Player Guide
• Will Putting Practice on Your Carpet at Home Burn Your Scores?
• Should I Get Fitted for Golf Clubs Before Lessons? Get Both Together
• How Much Should You Pay for Golf Lessons? A Complete Guide
• How Many Golf Lessons Do You Need? 3 is the Magic Number
• How to Get Better at Golf Without Lessons – 16 Top Tips
• Why Do I Get Worse the More I Play? You Need Some SPICE!