Improving your putting is one of the fastest ways to lower your golf scores. Regular practice with focused drills can significantly enhance your feel, consistency, and confidence on the greens.
Here are ten effective putting drills and exercises designed to improve various aspects of your putting game:
1. The Gate Drill
- Objective: Improve your putting accuracy and start the ball on the correct line.
- Setup: Place two tees just wider than your putter head on your intended line about four feet from the hole. Try to putt the ball through the "gate" without hitting the tees.
2. The Coin Drill
- Objective: Enhance your ability to hit the ball's sweet spot consistently.
- Setup: Place a coin on the ground and try to putt the coin. This drill forces you to strike the ball (coin in this case) with precision.
3. The Clock Drill
- Objective: Improve your short putting under pressure.
- Setup: Place balls around the hole at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions, each about three feet from the hole. Try to sink all putts in a row without missing.
4. The Distance Control Drill
- Objective: Develop a better feel for distance control on longer putts.
- Setup: Putt balls to different targets/distances without a hole, focusing on getting the ball to stop within a designated 'zone' around each target.
5. The Ladder Drill
- Objective: Refine distance control and touch for putts of varying lengths.
- Setup: Place clubs or tees on the ground at regular intervals (e.g., every 3 feet) away from you in a straight line. Try to putt a ball to stop at each successive marker without skipping any.
6. The Path Gate Drill
- Objective: Ensure your putter head follows a straight path during the stroke.
- Setup: Place two alignment sticks or clubs parallel to your putter path on the ground, forming a narrow path for your putter to travel through. Make strokes without touching the sticks.
7. The One-Handed Drill
- Objective: Improve your stroke's smoothness and your feel for the putter head.
- Setup: Practice putting strokes using only one hand (either left or right) at a time. This can help you understand how each hand contributes to the stroke.
8. The 100 Consecutive Putts Drill
- Objective: Build confidence and consistency from short range.
- Setup: Choose a relatively short putt (about 2-3 feet). Attempt to make 100 consecutive putts. If you miss, start the count over. This drill emphasizes repetitive success and mental endurance.
9. The Pressure Putting Drill
- Objective: Simulate pressure situations to improve focus and confidence under pressure.
- Setup: Set a challenging goal, like making 10 putts in a row from 5 feet. If you miss, start over, mimicking the pressure of needing to make a crucial putt.
10. The 4-Quadrant Drill
- Objective: Enhance putting from various angles and distances.
- Setup: Divide the area around a hole into four quadrants. Place a ball in each quadrant at different distances (e.g., 3, 6, 9 feet). The goal is to make all four putts in succession, moving through each quadrant.
Incorporating these drills into your practice routine can lead to noticeable improvements in your putting accuracy, consistency, and confidence on the greens. Remember, the key to benefitting from these drills is regular and focused practice.