If you're tired of seeing your long drives and crisp iron shots wasted by your poor putting game, it's time to incorporate a few putting drills into your regular golf practice. Putting drills go beyond just dropping a few balls on the practice green and hoping they get to the hole. Drills target the specific causes of your putting woes and will help you shave strokes off your next round.
Five-in-a-Row Drill
Long putts can be a nightmare and turn an easy par hole into a nightmare double or triple bogey if you're not careful. To help you focus on just getting the ball close enough for a two-putt, try the five-in-a-row drill. Take five golf balls to the practice green and pick one practice hole. Stick a tee in the ground at 30 feet, 40 feet and 50 feet from the hole. Stand at the 30-foot tee and drop five golf balls on the ground. You must putt each ball within three feet of the hole to move back to the next tee. If one of your putts miss, you must start over. When you can get five putts in a row within three feet of the hole from each tee, your drill is over.
Tee Gate Drill
Short putts are sometimes the most heartbreaking, because only a slight movement of the club head can be the difference between holing out and scoring a bogey. To help keep your putter head on line, place it on the ground and stick a tee directly in front of and behind the putter head to create a sort of "gate." Place a ball a few inches in front of the gate on line for the hole. Practice hitting 10 to 20 short putts using the gate, then step back and practice 10 to 15 putts without it. If you miss any of those short putts, go back to the gate until you can hit at least 10 short putts without the gate.
Hoop Drill
Lag putts require you to pick a spot off the direct line of the hole and use the contour of the green to get the ball to the hole. Use the hoop drill to help you pick a line -- then trust it. Use a small wire hoop, such as a croquet hoop, and set it up 5 to 6 feet in front of your putt on the line you've picked for a lag put. Hit five or six putts through the hoop. If you can't get the ball within a foot or two of the hole using that hoop position, move it and try again. When you can get five of seven putts within at least a foot of the hole, move on to another putting angle.
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