Putting Practice Drill

[DaveCenker]

I find myself hanging out at the putting green at lunch for a couple reasons. First, I like to get away from the office for a short period of time. Second, I'm always looking for ways to improve my golf game. I have come up with a little drill that I use to help my putting. Some my like it, some may not ... it gives me a way to "compete" against myself

Take 3 balls to the putting green and pick one hole to putt to. Drop the balls 3 feet from the hole (modify the distance if you want to start somewhere different) and putt all 3 from the same location. Your goal obviously is to make all 3. However, if you make 2 out of the 3, you get to move back to 6 feet with the 3 balls and make your next attempt from there. If you make 1 out of the 3 putts, you stay at your current distance and rotate around the cup 90 degrees and make your next attempts from that location. If you don't make any of the putts, game over.

The obvious objective of the *game* is to see how far away from the hole you can get. So far, I have been able to find my way back to 21 feet. This is a really good way to practice all lengths of putts from different angles while making sure that you always take time to practice the 2-4 footers that are typically left after a lag putt.

I have some other variations that I have thrown in also, but I don't want to overwhelm at this point If anyone is interested, let me know and I can post more info.

Dave

[Eagle x 4]

I like stuff like this. It's always good to have to have that feeling of having something on the line when you're practicing. I'll give this drill a shot today.

[zeg]

I do this, usually with one ball at a time though. At the greens I practice at, they also cut a small hole, maybe half the diameter of a normal hole so just larger than a golf ball. The idea is to do this drill with the smallest possible target. It's amazing how large a normal cup seems after you've been putting with no margin for error.

Doesn't help my putting, though.

[DaveCenker]

They have some of those smaller cut holes at a few courses I play at also. You are right ... you go back to a regulation size cup and it feels like you are putting into a bucket! Personally, one of the best aspects of this drill for me is dealing with pressure. Granted, it is self-inflicted pressure, but I guess that is really the only kind of pressure there is

Standing over your last ball at 12 feet knowing that you need to make it in order to "move on" tends to raise my adrenaline a bit even though I'm on the putting green. The more times I can have that feeling during practice, the more prepared (hopefully) I will be for it on the course.

[ncb09]

I like this, i'll be on the greens 2mora at some point so may try this... I dont usually have a routine when i'm ther just hit n hope (then get pissed off n snap my putter... but hay)

[sjsconcepts]

This is pretty cool. I haven't had much of a chance to get to my local course, so I practice in the living room on the carpet. Mainly I am doing distance control with my putter. I will putt and try to softly tap the couch, or putt down the hall and softly tap the door. I will definately try this though. Thanks!