Putting Drills

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By Kevin F

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  • 17 Replies
  1. Kevin F

    Kevin F
    Durham, NC

    I have struggled with my putting lately. I tend to hit the ball way too hard. Any drills that specifically work on distance control?
  2. Todd T

    Todd T
    San Diego, CA

    Military

    Put a tee in green.. Walk out to 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 feet and put tees in at those marks. Work putting to all the tees and then work your way back in.

  3. Great drill Todd, also you can mix up the order of putting these putts so you work on various distances!

  4. Todd T

    Todd T
    San Diego, CA

    Military

    I use the Scotty Cameron bag tags when the practice green/holes are full... Same diameter as cup, or just putt to the fringe!

  5. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    This drill works for me. I use 5 balls. Start out putting around 6 feet from the hole for 5 minutes. Then putt for 5 minutes between two holes that are about 15 feet apart. End the 5 minute drill by putting 5 balls between two holes that are between 20 - 30 feet apart. After the 5 minute drill I take 1 ball and putt in a clockwise movement in order to all hole positions on a practice putting green. The object is to 2 putt or less. If you miss you go back 2 holes and start over. When you have gone around the clock, you then start over in a counter clockwise rotation. The drill ends when you successfully 2 putt or less every hole (we have 9 holes on our practice putting green).
  6. VoiceX1

    VoiceX1
    Prague, 0

    Put 3 tees and 3 balls on the green.. Just make a game... the goal is to make on every tee (3X1 putt) After making all three tees five times U have to go far away from the hole and putt tees again.. 

    * Start putt tees 1m,1.5m.2.5 after making it go to 3m.3.5m.4m

  7. Todd T said:

    Put a tee in green.. Walk out to 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 feet and put tees in at those marks. Work putting to all the tees and then work your way back in.

    Try to find a putting line that's relatively straight in with very little break. Before your stroke, close your eyes & keep them closed while you make the putt. Open your eyes when you think the ball is about to drop in the hole. 

  8. Spudstarch

    Spudstarch
    Walnut Creek, CA

    The drills others have already mentioned are all good. Just make sure things are varied enough so you do not get bored.

    One other important aspect that you do not want to overlook is to make sure your roll is consistent.

    Just as you don't want toe hits, thin shots, shanks and whatnot with any other club, you want to be sure you are consistently hitting that sweet spot on the putter and not causing the ball to bounce or skid. If your roll is inconsistent, it may make it more difficult to get a feel for precise distances.

  9. Paul P

    Paul P
    Rochester, NY

    Someone suggested to me a while back to use quarters and practice getting the ball as close as possible without rolling over it.  This is a standard for winter time practice, really helps give me the sense of control

  10. Jeff R

    Jeff R
    Hingham, MA

    • I used to have major putting problems, as I was pushing almost every left to right breaker. In order to fix this I began setting up to tees about the length of your putter blade apart. If a line was coming, from the hole, it would be perpendicular with the two tees in a line. Place the ball in the middle of these two tees and focus on accelerating the blade through the tees in a straight line. Another thing that troubles us while putting is the speed of the greens. When playing at a course for the first time, I'd practice lag putts before all else to get the speed of the greens down. Hopefully these tips can help you!  

  11. Richard H

    Richard H
    Grand Prairie, TX

    The tee drill works good, but you might also consider using a larger grip like the Super Stroke Slim 3.0. I didn't give them much credit at first, but when I finally made the switch I saw my distance control improve tremendously.

  12. Ben A

    Ben A
    Los Gatos, CA

    Along with those great drills, you should make sure you have the best putter and gripping technique for you. If you're struggling with the right feel and distance, you may have better luck with a different gripping method. Try left hand low or one of the others. 

  13. Chris Hatem

    Chris Hatem
    Boston

    Always end the session with some short ones for confidence.

  14. greg p

    greg p
    Chicago 'burbs, IL

    On the positive side, I'd rather hit 'em too long than too short.  It's a good sign that you are aggressive and making solid contact on the face.  I love the tee drill.  Lay a club or alignment rod 2-3 feet past the hole when doing it and try to stroke the putt so that misses stop between the hole and the club.

    I will also putt to twigs or irregularities on the green...small targets.  When I get back to the real hole, it seems huge.

  15. Gabriel G

    Gabriel G
    Cedar Park, TX

    Military

    Kevin,

    i had the same problem.  I went to a PGA Professional and he had me bring the putter back very very slowly.  I mean really slow and then accelerate the putter head forward.  Practice this drill over and over.  It has helped my distance control and now when I miss I am very close for the second putt.  

  16. golfinnut

    golfinnut
    Leesburg, VA

    Putting to tees at different distances is a great drill.

    I would also concentrate on the nature of your stroke.  Being consistent on "where" you strike the ball is no different on a putter face than on an iron.  To make sure you are consistently hitting the sweet spot, I put baby powder on the putter face and hit a few putts and see where the mark is.  (I find the marking strips used for regular club fitting don't show up well on soft putts ... plus it leaves my putter baby soft! LOL)  But in all seriousness, keep your stroke consistent and hit it at the tees at various distances.

    Plus, if you are blowing it by the hole consistently ... try imagining the cup closer and hit to the edge of a 3 foot circle Before the cup.  That way you are imagining the putt to be shorter than it actually is.  Putting really all comes down to feel.  The more you practice the better you will become and the distance control will come naturally.

    Not a Sermon ... Just a Thought 

  17. tdogg21

    tdogg21
    Chambersburg, PA

    Everyone has some great tips and drills.  But I would stress that you should work to holes or tees from different lengths.  One or two at a hole is fine, but if you line up 10 balls and go for the same hole, you're really not learning better control, but just adapting to what is in front of you.

  18. Tyler H

    Tyler H
    Appleton, WI

    I find that putting against someone for dollar bills works well. You either gain confidence and consistency in your store or you go broke real quick.

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