Golfing Tips: Putt Like a Pro With These Putting Drills

Most golfers will practise their putting skills, working on pace control and checking their strike and start line. When you first started to play, you may remember certain practise drills, such as the Path Drill to help you develop a consistent path. However, there are various other drills used by golfers to practise their putting.

Here are five of the Mytime Active’s golf team’s favourite putting drills for you to practise:

1. Two-ball Drill
   When you’re trying to improve your putting, it’s easy to start over-thinking, which can affect your stroke. Place two balls together and putt them at the same time. See if they head in the same direction to check whether your face is square through impact.  
2. Ladder Drill
   For long-range putting, this drill will help you learn control over distance. Place a tee in the ground 10, 20, 30 and 40 feet away. Start the ‘ladder drill’ by hitting a putt to the 10-foot tee, and then the 20-foot, and so on. The aim is to get the ball to stop as close as possible to each tee as you go along.
3. Gate Drill
   This drill will help you assess whether the ball is rolling on your intended line. First, check your start line and strike by laying down alignment sticks, bringing your body in line with your ball position. Using tee pegs as gateposts, attempt to hit the ball so it goes through the opening.
4. Clock Drill
   Create four lines of three balls originating from the hole to mirror a clockface at the three, six, nine and twelve positions. Your aim is to try and putt all twelve in one go – if you miss any, then start again.
5. Goldilocks Drill
   When you are confident that your putts are starting on your intended line, this drill will help you control your pace. On the practise green, pick a target around 20 feet away. Hit three balls using different levels of effort – too soft, too hard and just right. The more you do this, the greater your pace control will be.

Putting drills are well worth practising. Why not book a golf lesson with one of our PGA Golf Professionals to improve your game?