Putting Tips: 3 Drills You Can Do at Home to Become a Better Putter
By: Kyle Train
Read Time: 4 minutes
As much as we would all like to have a practice green in our backyard, most of us don’t have that luxury. And while heading over to the course or driving range to get some practice in is ideal, sometimes life gets in the way and it is hard to find the time. Fortunately, you can work on your putting stroke in the comfort of your own home (where you also get to determine the dress code), by practicing a few simple drills. These will target three essential parts of your game on the green: start line, making solid contact, and distance control.
What you will need:
Putter
Golf Balls
Carpet/Rug
4 Books
Business Cards/Credit Cards
Circular Drink Coaster
Pillow
Drill #1 – Hitting Your Line
Place the drink coaster on the ground and lay the 4 books in a line behind it. From 6-8ft away, place three business cards (can also use credit cards if they are flat) on the ground, separating them by about 1-2ft. Make sure they are pointed at the coaster. Put a golf ball about 3 feet behind each business card, in line with the coaster. For this drill, you will hit a putt from each spot, making the ball run over the business card and finish by gently hitting the coaster. Try to make as many in a row as you can. This drill will show you whether you are starting your putt on the line you intend, using the business card as visual feedback. If you are consistently missing on one side, pay attention to how your feet and shoulders are aligned, and make the necessary adjustments.
Drill #2 - Modified Gate Drill
Place two books down beside each other, with just enough room to fit a putter through. 3-5ft in front of the books, place a pillow on the ground (can substitute for a towel). Drop a golf ball between the books, about 2” past the opening furthest from the pillow. With your left hand only, putt the ball into the pillow without hitting the books. Do this 6 times, then repeat with just your right hand. Now with both your hands on the putter, hit 6 more putts without hitting the books. You should feel that you have much more control of the putter head and are finding the center of the face more frequently. If the books are moving too much when you hit them, you can put something heavy on top of them as long as it doesn’t interfere with the putting stroke.
Drill #3 – Putt to the Hot Zone
Place two books down beside each other, with a gap of about 4”, roughly the diameter of the hole in golf. Place another 2 books about 1-2ft behind the ones you just laid down, using the same 4” gap between them. Standing anywhere from 6-15ft away, putt the ball between the first two books and have it stop before it reaches the next set of books. This area can be referred to as the Hot Zone. For most putts on the course, the ideal speed is such that if you were to miss, the ball rolls 1-2ft past the hole, a distance you are likely to make every putt from (could/should also be called the “gimme” zone). This drill helps simulate the feeling of giving the ball enough speed to get 1-2ft past the hole, as the opening between the first two books acts as the hole, and the space between the two sets of books acts as the ideal finishing position. For the most effective practice, don’t hit from the same distance more than two times in a row.
Keeping track of how well you perform these drills is a great way to see how much you improve. Below is an example of how you can evaluate your performance of each drill.
All of these putting drills can be used on the practice green at the course as well, substituting books and business cards for tees. If you would like any additional help with your putting stroke, green reading, or mental preparation on the putting green, you can book a quick 30-minute virtual lesson by going to the Get Started page.
By practicing these 3 drills at home, your ability to hit your start lines, make solid contact, and control your distances will be sure to improve for your next trip out to the links.
