Practice Drills for Improved Putting

Highly effective putting practice for distance control and
confidence improvement.

There are three basic kinds of putting practice drills:
1) Distance Control
2) Stroke Mechanics
3) Confidence

DISTANCE CONTROL

The Lag Drill

This drill will really help you learn to control your distance. You should not putt to a hole when practicing your distance control.As shown here, a string is used for the distance marker, but the edge of the green or two widely spaced tees or a couple of golf balls could have been used. The purpose is to concentrate on the distance the ball is going, not on hitting a specific target line. In each case you should try various lengths of putts working on getting your distance as consistent as possible. You can make a mini-game out of your practice by trying first to see how close you can come without going past your distance marker, then trying some putts to see if you can stop right on the marker line and then finally see how close you can come but with just enough distance to go past your marker line.

For putts longer than about six feet, there seem to be two theories about the ideal distance to try and hit your putts. Some teachers advocate an "eighteen inch rule", that is that all putts should be hit hard enough to go eighteen inches past the cup if they do not go in.
The second distance theory is that you should "die he ball at the hole "so it has a chance to fall in from the side even if it is not perfectly on line. On golf courses that get a lot of play, all of the foot steps in the vicinity of the cup tend to make it into a mini-volcano such that putts approaching slowly will roll away from the hole if not hit dead center or hit firmly. The "eighteen inch rule" is your best chance if you encounter courses with the areas around the cups worn down.
If on the other hand you play a course that changes the cup locations on the green nearly every day and the course does not get a lot of daily play then the "die it at the hole" approach will give you the best chance of making more putts.

STROKE MECHANICS

Here are some drills and training aids to help you develop a consistent stroke.

The String Drill

The string drill has been shown to give excellent results in helping develop a straight back / straight through stroke. By using a "string" between two small posts, a line to the hole can be setup at various distances. Usually, a ten foot string will let you practice your stroke on four, six and eight foot putts. By having the height of the string just above the golf ball, it will also help assure that you are keeping your putter low to the ground during your stroke. You need to pick a level spot on the putting green, as shown below, put one post right behind the hole and the other out about ten to twelve feet away from the hole such that the string is tight and about two inches above the ground. You then place the ball (only about two feet from the hole) under the string and place your putter behind the ball. You should take the putter back and through very slowly at first to watch that it goes straight back / straight though and that the face stays square to the hole(string line). And, you must keep your putter low to the ground for the most consistent roll. As you get the feel for this drill, then start to increase your distance away from the hole.

You will find that this drill will help you under actual playing conditions because you will be able to visualize the string going to the hole on straight putts. And, it will help you visualize your intended line on breaking putts as well.
As you try multiple putts, be sure and vary your distances and even move your string position occasionally so that you do not wear out an area of the practice putting green by standing in one place too long.

The Circle Drill

For this drill, select a hole in a relatively flat area of the green and place four or six balls around the hole in a rough circle.Then putt them into the hole in rotation. Start with the balls only about two feet from the hole. When you have made all four, move out to three feet and repeat. Continue increasing the distance until you miss. Then when you miss, START OVER at two feet.
This drill will help you repeat your setup and preshot routine and give you a little competitive pressure--you will be surprised how the self imposed pressure builds as the distance you are putting from increases. And, especially as you near setting a new "I made them all" distance record for yourself. Once you are confident from six feet and in, then you should pick a hole for the drill that is not in a flat area. This will give you practice on uphill, downhill, left breaking and right breaking putts.