putting drill/tips

[Vinchenzo561]

Hello everyone since putting is my favorite thing to do, I thought it would be a great thing to hear about all the different putting drills you do. Also if you have any tips feel free to throw them out there. I always put a line on my ball and always try to line it up with the line I envisioned in my head. I also use a putting gate with two tees just wide enough for my putter to go through just to make sure I am not hitting the ball off the toe or heel and to stay more centered. Thanks for checking out this post and i look forward to hearing about the different drills everyone has.

[Ernest Jones]

I don't really practice my putting at all. Ever since getting a putter fit to my eye and weighted properly, it just seems to "happen". Mostly, when I do work on putting it's all about getting the speed right. My lines tend to be pretty good and I use Aimpoint, so my reads are rarely the problem. 

[iacas]

I don't work on my putting much either. When I do, I work on my stroke (which helps me mostly with start lines, as my distance control is almost always pretty good), or one of the other 3 Keys of putting:

In my opinion, if your drill involves just plopping balls down and hitting putts toward something, you're probably not practicing as well as you should.

Most putting skills are low Separation Value skills. Green reading is up there, but it's also not a skill that requires much practice at all.

[Vinchenzo561]

Thanks @iacas for the link there is some good info there. I really need to work on speed for the most part as my read and bead tend to be very good for the most part. I either run out of juice on the read that was going in or blow past it and fight the break. I try to keep it no more than 1-2 feet past it. I get more annoyed when it comes up short than when it goes past it. @Ernest Jones what is this aimpoint you speak of?

[Ernest Jones]

27 minutes ago, Vinchenzo561 said:

Thanks @iacas for the link there is some good info there. I really need to work on speed for the most part as my read and bead tend to be very good for the most part. I either run out of juice on the read that was going in or blow past it and fight the break. I try to keep it no more than 1-2 feet past it. I get more annoyed when it comes up short than when it goes past it. @Ernest Jones what is this aimpoint you speak of?

Aimpoint is the secret sauce.

 

There's probably a link in Erik's signature. Or just search it. It's a method for green reading. Lots  of pros use it. Works great and is easy to learn, but you need to take a course, you can't really learn it from written material. Involves using your feet to evaluate break. Money well spent, the closest thing to a magic bullet in all of golf. 

[Marty2019]

Well I need some sort of putting drill, because yesterday, I missed numerous 4 and 5 foot putts.   My problem wasn't green reading, it was hitting my putt off line. 

I think what I will try is, go to the practice putting green, find a perfectly straight 5 foot putt, and putt it 100 times or until I can hit 10 in a row, whichever comes first.  

Other than that, I have no clue.  

[Ernest Jones]

12 minutes ago, Marty2019 said:

Well I need some sort of putting drill, because yesterday, I missed numerous 4 and 5 foot putts.   My problem wasn't green reading, it was hitting my putt off line. 

I think what I will try is, go to the practice putting green, find a perfectly straight 5 foot putt, and putt it 100 times or until I can hit 10 in a row, whichever comes first.  

Other than that, I have no clue.  

Stretch a string (an elastic-y one is best) between two knitting needles and stick them in the ground on a level area. Putt under the string. This gives you great visual feedback. Chalk line is great too, but I think most courses frown on it.

[iacas]

Buy a metal yardstick. Put the ball in the little hole at one end. Putt it off the far end - not off one of the sides.

[Vinchenzo561]

@iacas could you please tell me a little bit about this secret sauce aim point lol? I tried looking it up and all I found was someone bashing it that seemed to never have tried it. I am very intrested in hearing more about it and where I can find a place to take a lesson. I live in West Palm Beach FL. 

[saevel25]

9 minutes ago, Vinchenzo561 said:

@iacas could you please tell me a little bit about this secret sauce aim point lol? I tried looking it up and all I found was someone bashing it that seemed to never have tried it. I am very intrested in hearing more about it and where I can find a place to take a lesson. I live in West Palm Beach FL. 

http://www.aimpointgolf.com/

http://www.aimpointgolf.com/#/locateInstructors

Aimpoint combines science with a simplistic method to determine the break of the putt. I highly recommend getting a aimpoint lesson. 

[dave s]

My older son played HS basketball.  As a 'big' on the floor, one of his main drills was called the Mikan Drill.  Facing the  the basket, left- and right-hand off the backboard and in.  Back to the basket, left- and right-hand reverse layups off the backboard and in.  He hated doing 100 each way seemingly every day for 6 years.

How the drill paid off for him was receive ball in post, drop-step to basket and lay it in.  Averaged about 16 a game his entire HS career.  The drill is a 'been there done that so many times, I'm not going miss when I get the ball down low.'

My putting drill is similar.  2 balls, pick a single hole on the practice green that will give you an uphill, downhill and two breaking putts from both sides.  Putt both balls from 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions around the hole from 2 feet, 3 feet then 5 feet.  Do it twice and move to another hole.  Do it again.  Takes 10-15 minutes tops.

This putting drill is similar to basketball's Mikan Drill.  Been there and done that so many times that it becomes an automatic make when a 2-5' putt shows up on the course.  I do this drill before teeing off every round.  When the 2-5 footers show up during a round, they usually go in for me.  I'll usually miss 1 per an 18-hole round.  Miss two or three and it's a bad putting day for me.

And trust me when I say, out of a usual 4-some, I see an easy half-dozen of those 'makeable putts' missed during a round.

Short putts are layups.  Gotta make 'em when you get the ball close.

dave  

[klund]

My favorite drill is for sure Drawback.

I play 18 holes. Different holes every time. Mix evenly between 3,6 and 9 meters. If you miss the putt you have to draw the ball back 1 putter length and putt again until you make it.

Compete against your previous scores.

I like this drill because it trains not only green reading but the biggest benefit i see is good practice on testing 3-4 footers. You wont make many 6-9 meter putts but you can also gain some confidence in this area as well.

I like aimpoint as well. The biggest benefit for me was that it allowed me to become more confident in my read and it of course transferred in to my stroke.

I think for higher handicappers finding a way to gain confidence in 3-6 foot putts is extremely important. Less technical and more mental approach to making putts!