Dave Pelz (1939–2025)

The day before I read Dave Pelz's Putting Games, I played in a scramble where all four members of my team--none with a handicap over ten--missed the same basically straight five-foot birdie putt. As you might imagine, I opened Pelz's book with more than average interest. I wasn't disappointed.

Putting Games is all about developing the skills to make more putts. The first section is diagnostic, the second covers stroke mechanics like aim and face angle, while the third is about developing show more touch and feel. Pelz painstakingly describes seven games you should play to measure your performance so you can map a route to improvement. They are all played with twelve balls and address nearly every putting circumstance from the dreaded three-footer to sixty-foot lags.

As you would expect given Pelz's background as a NASA scientist and perhaps the most data-driven golf instructor in the business, the "games" rely heavily on measurement and data analysis. they also make extensive us of some of the many training aids Pelz sells. This approach will clearly appeal to analytic golfers, but the games will also help more "feel" players improve their putting performance as well. show less

To reiterate another reviewer's point, Pelz goes into excrutiating detail on the science of putting. In fact, personally, I think he's a little over the top in the amount of minute detail he covers, and sometimes found myself thinking, come on Dave, I trust you on that point; you can stop explaining now. Still, I give it 5 stars, not because I think it is such an engaging read -- much of it is not -- but because of the thoroughly comprehensive coverage of everything, from the golfer, to the show more equipment, to green reading, to the science behind everything he explains. Although I am a beginner at this game, I would venture to say that if there is anything about putting this book does not mention, it is probably something you don't need to know. show less

it's long and a bit technical, especially if you are a "feel" putter. however, it explains some concepts that you ought to know about if you want to get good at putting: the lumpy donut, the perfect speed ... etc.

i'm a great putter. i'm the best damn putter that ever lived, and i owe that, in part to dave pelz.

This looks really good and thorough. I'm not actively playing golf right now, but I found plenty of ideas and tips in here, just skimming, to help my game when I get back to it. It helped that my golf teacher already had me approaching putting like this.