How to Teach a Child to Putt: A Step-by-Step Guide
A simple, age-appropriate progression for introducing a child to putting, from grip and stance through to reading a green.
Putting is the easiest part of golf to introduce to a young child, and it's often the best place to start. It needs no power, minimal space, and gives kids the quick, satisfying feedback of a ball rolling into a hole. A calm, structured approach - rather than jumping straight to green-reading or technical stroke mechanics - keeps early sessions fun and builds a genuinely sound foundation.
Start with grip and posture, kept simple
A light, comfortable grip is the first habit worth building. Many junior coaches encourage a reverse-overlap or simply a two-handed "palms facing each other" grip, with the hands working together as one unit rather than fighting each other. Posture should be relaxed: eyes roughly over the ball, feet a comfortable width apart, and shoulders level rather than tilted. There's no need to over-correct a young child's natural setup as long as they can repeat it - consistency matters far more than a textbook-perfect position at this stage.
Teach a pendulum stroke, not a hit
The core idea to introduce early is that putting is a gentle rocking motion from the shoulders, not a wristy flick or a full swing. A useful image for kids is a clock pendulum, or a swing set moving smoothly back and through. Quiet wrists and a level shoulder turn keep the putter face square through impact, which matters far more for a good roll than raw speed or a long stroke. Short, repeated strokes on flat ground - without even worrying about a hole at first - help this feel become automatic.
Build distance control before worrying about line
Once the stroke feels comfortable, distance control is the next skill, and it's arguably more important than reading break for a beginner. A simple ladder drill works well: place a few tees or coins at different distances and have the child try to stop the ball at each one, focusing purely on how hard to hit it rather than where. Kids naturally improve their feel for pace through repetition far more than through verbal instruction, so plenty of short, low-pressure putts beats a small number of closely-coached ones.
Introduce reading the green once the basics are solid
Only after grip, stroke and distance feel comfortable is it worth introducing the idea that greens slope and putts curve. Keep this simple at first: standing behind the ball, does the green look like it leans left, right, or is it roughly flat? That single observation is enough for most young beginners - full green-reading technique can wait until a child is playing regularly and wants to improve further.
How long should a first putting lesson be?
For most young beginners, 15 to 20 minutes is plenty for a first session. Putting rewards short, frequent practice far more than long, one-off sessions, so a few short sessions across a week will usually build the skill faster and keep it enjoyable than a single long lesson.