Putting Practice Before Your Round

[ks8829]

What is your practice putting routine just before you go out and play your round?

1) I work on straight putts of one to three club lengths of my putter.
2) I focus on getting a feel for distance and consistent tempo on my stroke.
3) I work on short side hill putts and seeing the putts die into the hole.
4) I try to practice at least 30 minutes to an hour before the round.

What is your routine just before you go and play your round and what success have you had? Do you also practice your short game? chipping and pitching?

[DavidFehertysBike]

I drill nothing but 2 or 3 footers. I dont want to give myself the feeling of missing putts before i go out and play. Its a method of denial, really.....

[deronsizemore]

I don't practice that long before a round. I'll putt for 15 minutes or so and then try to loosen up with some short irons and a couple drivers on the range.

My putting routine before a round is just trying to get some feel of speed. I'll usually roll some putts to the fringe and not the hole. I'm just trying to get the idea of making putts out of my mind and into the midset of stroking putts and getting a feel for the green speed and not worrying about the outcome. I'll roll putts just trying to barely get the ball come to rest on the fringe. Before I leave the practice green I'll roll some 2 and 3 footers just to build some confidence.

I dont want to give myself the feeling of missing putts before i go out and play. Its a method of denial, really.....

See my reply above.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I don't practice that long before a round. I'll putt for 15 minutes or so and then try to loosen up with some short irons and a couple drivers on the range.

Thats a good method. I read something years ago about annika sorenstam going through a similar routine. I can get a feel of the green without missing putts..Then i can center cut my tap ins to reinforce the idea that i am the greatest putter ever to exist...lol

[deronsizemore]

I can get a feel of the green without missing putts..Then i can center cut my tap ins to reinforce the idea that i am the greatest putter ever to exist...lol

Yep! That's my mindset anyway.

Of course, as many putts as I've missed this year... it could be dangerous for anyone to follow my routine.

[Jay-Bird]

Pre round putting for me is quick. I hit a few just to get the feel of the ball on the putter and to feel the stroke. I don't "practice" before rounds, I prepare.

[Elvisliveson]

I use four balls and practice 6 to 10 footers for 15 minutes to get a rhythm and a feel for the greens.

[FHopper]

Most rounds I run from the car to the first tee and barely get a chance touch my toes before hitting, I wonder if that is why I have 7s so often on #1.

[pingman]

not much practice but more preperation. i place two tees about three feet apart and putt to them. get a feel for the speed of the green. then do a ladder drill, putt from 1,2,3 ft to get confidence and if there's room on the practice green, just lag some close from 10ft to make sure i have the speed right, not focusing on holing out from there. then hit a few balls on the range with my 56*, 8i, 4i, driver, then whatever i'm gonna use on the first tee.

[TakeDeadAim]

I drill nothing but 2 or 3 footers. I dont want to give myself the feeling of missing putts before i go out and play. Its a method of denial, really.....

+1 lalalala

(there´s a minimum of 9 characters, so I have to add the lalala crap to my +1 vote... but then again, with the explanation, the lalalala is not needed, but if I take it out, there is no point explaining anything and back to needing more characters.........aaaarrrgggghhh!!!!! See what you make me do!!!!!)

[groovezilla79]

I use four balls and practice 6 to 10 footers for 15 minutes to get a rhythm and a feel for the greens.

About the same for me. I like to make sure to get some fringe putts in, too.

[Fourputt]

I don't do what I'd call "practice" before a round. I do putt as part of my warmup routine, but the reason is to get a feel for the greens and for my putter. I just groove my setup and stroke, get some idea of the general speed of the greens. I'm not there to putt for 1/2 hour like I would in a practice session, and I'm not working on anything special. I'll hit more short putts than long ones, but I do hit some longer ones just see how the greens are rolling.

I'm not worried as much about making putts as I am about making good strokes.

[goblue107501]

I don't do what I'd call "practice" before a round. I do putt as part of my warmup routine, but the reason is to get a feel for the greens and for my putter. I just groove my setup and stroke, get some idea of the general speed of the greens. I'm not there to putt for 1/2 hour like I would in a practice session, and I'm not working on anything special. I'll hit more short putts than long ones, but I do hit some longer ones just see how the greens are rolling.

Pretty much dead on with what I was going to say.

[DaSportsGuy]

I don't really have a set routine. I just put around a little bit to get used to the speed of the greens.

[Leftygolfer]

If I don't have time, I just want to get a feel and hit some short ones. But when I walk on as I sometimes do there is no reason to not practice my putting while I wait.

If I am playing a real round I want to score, I like to putt right at 30 minutes focusing on 3 to 15 foot putts.

I like getting there 1 hour before I play.

[Golf_Gal]

I hit a few balls on the green, just to see how the greens are that day! Maybe 3-4 balls or so. I have a practice method that I use, I'll layout 4-5 golf balls in a line in front of the hole and I'll hit them in to practice my distance!

[Dub]

I like to start off with some nice lag putting to just get the feel of releasing the putterhead and stroking fully through the ball.....sort of a mini golf swing.


At some point I will putt some 6 footers using right hand only just to engrain this feel.

I then like to use three balls and put to the same hole, readdressing each, going through the full preshot routine.

I then focus on putting out my leaves...trying to always get in the cup on the second putt.

Firming in some 4 footers is key, too. Get rid of the tentative stroke.


I like to have the feeling that I'm hitting the ball with the top of the putterface...seems to get me in the right positions through impact and putts a beautiful roll on the ball.


I like to vary the downhill, uphill, sidehill and length.


I try to give it an honest 20 mins on the practice green before a round. Faith in my putting will enhance every other aspect of my game.

[Matt M]

My pre round putting is more about feeling the speed of the green. Start out with a some 20 ft then 30 40 then hit some small putts and go. I'm not big on doing my circle drill because I want to walk on the course feeling like I'm putting good. I don't want miss short putts then go on the course with that in my head. If I putt bad in the round then I ll work on it when I practice the next day.