Putting drills

[41eater]

I badly need to improve my putting -- all aspects: lag putting, speed control, short putts.

Share your drills and practice routines. Mine are stale and boring.

[HNIC]

41,

I'm not a teacher in any regards like some of the others here, but the one best drill that has worked for me for lag putts and speed control is closing my eyes when putting and trying to guess what the ball did. Did it go past the hole? short? left? right?

Yes I read this drill in a magazine and thought what the hell I'll try it and it has worked very well. Of course though it's most important to make sure all your fundamentals are correct first.

[pokerpansie]

putting with your eyes closed is a great drill for feel. As far as mechanics go I was taught at an early age to practice putting with the blade of SW, you must keep your body/head/wrists/hands still and quiet to make solid contact.

[Florida]

easiest way to improve is to go out to a hole, putting green, or something like that, and practice, hit like 25 balls around from different spots, after that you should be a lot better.

[Isaac Newton]

I usually do the one where you set up four balls around the cup one foot away from the cup, make those and do the same 2 feet away etc. If you miss one you have to start over at 1 foot. Try to get to 6 feet away. It's difficult to do and after about 20 minutes those 5 footers become pressure putts.

For lag putts I try to find a time when the green is empty and drop about 20 balls and try to get down in two at every hole, also not easy.

[JTrout]

This is from Pelz, and is one of my favorites for its simplicity/difficulty.

Find two holes on the practice green app. 20 feet apart. Preferrably with a little uhphill/downhill slope.

Putt from one hole to the other, with the goal of getting the ball past the hole, but no more than 3 feet. Alternate from uphill to downhill. Keep a personal record/goal.


When I practice on shorter putts, I like to putt at a coin on the putting green, instead of the hole.
2 reasons: first, it makes the actual hole look huge when you go to the course. Second, because the ball rolls out (instead of going in), I pay attention to whether or not I'm rolling these short putts at the proper speed.
I want them to finish between 1 and 2 feet past the coin.

[41eater]

[ QUOTE ]
This is from Pelz, and is one of my favorites for its simplicity/difficulty.

Find two holes on the practice green app. 20 feet apart. Preferrably with a little uhphill/downhill slope.

Putt from one hole to the other, with the goal of getting the ball past the hole, but no more than 3 feet. Alternate from uphill to downhill. Keep a personal record/goal.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, excellent drill -- this is one of my staples. As you say, part of the goal here is to be sure you ALWAYS get the ball to the hole. I'm either not doing it enough (quite possible) or it's gotten a little stale for me.

[glfrjack]

A drill I love...

Find a relatively straight put and line up balls at 3 foot, 5 foot, 8 foot, 10 foot and 15 foot in a line away from the hole. Put the closest ball first and if made, go to the next. If missed, replace and start over. Continue this through the line, however, if you miss any put, you must replace ALL the balls and start from the beginning. You aren't done until you sink all 5 balls in sucsession.

This does two things for me: 1) It stresses putts inside 8 feet, and 2) It puts pressure in your putting, which you will encounter on the course.

A little variance is to find a breaking putt and do the same. Then a downhill putt. I think it's a great drill.

[westhoff]

I definitely recommend the pelz drill. Combine it with putting to a coin or tee like someone already said. Finish with 10 or more 3-foot putts in a row to hear the sound of the ball going in the hole and to build your confidence.

[Evan]

[ QUOTE ]
This is from Pelz, and is one of my favorites for its simplicity/difficulty.

Find two holes on the practice green app. 20 feet apart. Preferrably with a little uhphill/downhill slope.

Putt from one hole to the other, with the goal of getting the ball past the hole, but no more than 3 feet. Alternate from uphill to downhill. Keep a personal record/goal.


[/ QUOTE ]
I've never heard this one but I like it. I actually used to do this on the putting green at the course I worked at with a downhill putt that was almost impossible. The switching between the two really teaches you to trust your feel.