Putting Practice
Also known as: how to practice putting, putting practice routine, putting practice drills, putting drills, practice putting at home
Practice putting in three separate parts: start line, speed and pressure. Roll putts through a gate to train start line, putt to a zone from different distances to train speed, and finish with a short-putt game where a miss resets your count. Spend the most time on whichever part costs you the most strokes.
A putt has two jobs: start on the line you aimed at and arrive at the right speed. They fail for different reasons. A wrong start line usually comes from the face at impact or a path that cuts across the ball. Bad speed comes from a stroke whose length or rhythm changes from putt to putt. Rolling balls at one hole from one spot trains neither on purpose, so you cannot tell which one improved.
Train start line with a gate: two tees a little wider than a ball, about a foot in front of it on your aim line. Train speed with a ladder: putt from short, medium and long range and try to finish every ball just past the hole, changing only the length of the stroke. Long putts are mostly about speed, because the goal is an easy second putt. Short putts are mostly about start line and nerve.
End every session with something at stake, such as holing every ball in a circle around the hole before you move back, starting again after a miss. Practice without a consequence rarely holds up on the course. Short sessions a few times a week usually do more than one long one.
Tips by skill level
Count your three-putts over a few rounds. If there are many, spend more of your practice on speed from long range.
Hit ten short putts and note where the misses go. Misses to one side point to start line; misses short or long point to speed.
Example
She three-putts often. As a result, she splits each session: five minutes through a tee gate, five on a distance ladder from long range, then a circle game around the hole. Over a few weeks her long putts finish closer and her three-putts drop.
Why it matters
Most players practice putting as one thing and never learn whether line or speed is costing them strokes. Splitting the practice shows which one to fix.
Common mistakes
- Rolling balls at one hole from one spot, which never trains speed
- Practicing only long putts or only short ones
- Hitting harder instead of making a longer stroke
- Ending the session on a miss with nothing at stake
Frequently asked questions
How do I practice putting?
Split it into start line, speed and pressure. Roll putts through a tee gate, putt to a zone from different distances, and finish with a game where a miss resets your count.
How long should I practice putting?
Short and often beats long and rare. A few short sessions a week, each covering start line, speed and a pressure game, usually do more than one long session.
Should I practice short putts or long putts?
Both. Long putts train speed so you leave easy second putts; short putts train start line and holding your nerve. If you three-putt a lot, spend more time on speed.
Sources
- How to Practice Putting: A Routine That Transfers to the Course
Related terms
- Lag PuttingLag putting is the deliberate strategy of putting distance control ahead of making a long putt. The aim is a short, stress-free second putt rather than an aggressive attack on the hole.
- Speed Control (Putting)Speed control is calibrating stroke length and tempo so a putt rolls the intended distance. It is widely considered the single most important putting skill.
- Three-PuttA three-putt means taking three strokes to hole out after reaching the green. It usually starts with poor distance control on the first putt.
- Short PuttsShort putts are often missed because the putter face is not square at impact or the stroke slows down through the ball. Pick a precise target, make a firm stroke that would roll the ball a little past the hole, and keep your head still until the ball is gone.
- Putting StrokeThe putting stroke is the controlled pendulum motion that rolls the ball along the intended line. Good mechanics include a square face at impact, consistent tempo, and path that matches the putter's arc.
- Aiming a PuttTo aim a putt, pick a spot on your start line a few inches ahead of the ball. Set the putterface square to that spot before you set your feet. Many golfers use a line on the ball, pointed along the start line rather than at the hole, then match the putter's sight line to it.
Related guides & benchmarks
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