What Is The Most Effective Golf Putting Drill?

Focus your practice time on the most effective golf putting drill to see long-lasting results in your short game improvement.

Most golf instructional resources out there will teach you how to improve your game through swing drills, mental imagery, flexibility, and proper fundamentals. While all of these topics are important, I haven't run across many tips that teach you how to improve your putting with an effective golf putting drill.

In the spirit of keeping things simple, there are really two basic putting drills I recommend...one for the short putts and one for the long ones.

The short golf putting drill will help your strengthen your nerves, concentration and stroke.

The long putting drill will help you improve your feeling on the greens, how you judge distance, and how you read beaks.

Short Putts

Think back to your last round of golf. How many short putts (within 8-10 feet) did you miss? If you made even 50% of those that you missed, what would your score have been?

The following golf putting drill isn't fancy. It's hard-core, old-school perfection through repetition. But do spend a couple hours on this drill over the next several weeks - I guarantee you'll see improvement.

Go to the practice green and find an open hole with a flat (no break) 10 foot putt. Avoid practicing this drill with breaks - any slope will defeat the purpose.

In a straight line from the hole, place three tees in the green. The first tee should be three feet away. The second tee should be five feet away. The third and final tee should be ten feet away.

The picture to the right shows you the proper placement of tees for this golf putting exercise.

Take five golf balls and set them next to the tee that is three feet away from the hole. Your first goal is to putt 15 in a row from this distance without missing. Only after making 15 in a row can you move to the next tee.

If you miss even a single putt, you go back to zero and start over!

Once you've made 15 in a row, take the five balls and place them next to the second tee (5 feet away). Your goal for this tee is to make 10 putts in a row. If you miss a single putt, go back to zero at your current tee (5 feet away). Repeat this until you've made your 10 putts in a row without missing.

Finally, take the five balls to the tee that is 10 feet away. Your goal at this tee is to make five putts in a row without missing. Same rules apply.

While this drill is guaranteed to help you improve your putting, it can be a bit time-consuming and frustrating at first. If you find yourself really struggling to get through the drill, try the following variations:

Variation #1: Instead of concentrating on making putts in a row, focus on total made putts. Make 50 putts from 3 feet, 40 putts from 5 feet and 25 putts from 10 feet.
Variation #2: Reduce the number of putts in a row. At three feet, make 10 in a row. At five feet, make 5 in a row. At ten feet, make 3 in a row.

Long Putts

This golf putting drill will help you improve on your longer putts. The following drill will help you improve your confidence with distance. And since almost every long putt has some break to it, this drill will also help you learn how to read break and slope better.

Find an area on the practice green where you can find an open 50+ foot putt. The end of the putt should be at the putting green fringe.

Have trouble gauging 50 feet? Take 20 steps - that'll be between 50-60 feet.

Place a tee at the beginning of the putt so you don't lose your place. Then take a ball and place it where the fringe meets the green. This is your putting target.

See the picture to the right.

The goal for this exercise is simple - putt 5 putts in a row where the ball comes to rest within 5 feet of your target ball without going into the fringe.

This drill will really make you focus on your putting pace, and ability to read the green's slope.

Like the short putting drill outlined earlier, you may want to tailor the long golf putting drill to your skill level and time availability. Try the following variations:

Variation #1: Place the target ball five feet in from the fringe on the green. Your goal is still to get 5 putts in a row within 5 feet. But with the target ball on the green and in from the fringe, you can putt past the target by up to 5 feet.

Variation #2: Instead of concentrating on putts in a row, simply putt 10-15 balls within 5 feet of your target. The in-a-row rule will turbo-charge your improvement but it can be a little time consuming at first.

Wrap-Up

The key to both of the putting drills above is repetition and consistency. Give these drills a chance - they can be a little challenging at first. After three or four putting practice sessions, you'll really start to notice a measurable improvement in your short and long putts.

Repetition in practice can sometimes become a little dull. Once you've mastered the drills above, come up with your own short or long golf putting drill. Having some variety in your putting sessions will help keep you motivated in your practice.

More putting tips like this golf putting drill.