Putting Drills 101

The Gate Drill, Distance Control, 18 Holes of Putting, The Mirror Putting Aid and More

Oct 04, 2024

With so much content on putting, I figured I’d share some putting drills that I think are useful, simple to understand, and easy to set up.

Drill #1: The Gate Drill

The gate drill is a classic used by many pros, most famously by Tiger Woods. It’s simple and effective. The Gate Drill gives instant feedback on your swing path and helps train center strikes.

Put two tees in the ground just outside the toe and heel of your putter (if you are having trouble putting through the gate, widen the gate a bit). If you’re at home, stand the tees upside down or put two balls outside your putter in place of the tees.

Start with a straight putt around 4 to 6 feet from the hole. After you make 5 in a row, move back a couple of feet and try again.

Here’s a great video from Taco Golf on Tiktok (funny name but an excellent follow!):

Here’s another video with Tiger explaining the gate drill. His is a bit more advanced, using one hand, then both, but it’s worth the watch:

Drill #2: Distance Control Drill

This drill is good for people with distance control issues, and it has the added twist of making it into a game.

I like gamifying practice because it helps me focus on achieving a goal rather than on the mechanics of my putting stroke.

Also, it’s just less boring. Gamified practice is more intuitive and, in my opinion, translates better to on-the-course play.

Here’s how you play. Put a club or alignment stick about 2 feet behind the hole. Walk back from the hole anywhere from 8 to 20 feet. Take ten or so balls and try to get all your putts between the hole and the club.

Points:

0 pts for leaving the ball short
0 pts for hitting the club
1 pt for getting it between the hole and the club
2 pts for making the putt

Hit ten putts and add up your score. That’s it—simple stuff.

The video below from Ellie isn’t exactly the same, but it gives you a visualization.

*One caveat to this drill. If you’re working on lag putting from far distances, being short of the hole is ok! This drill is better for putts within 20 feet.

Drill #3: Play 9 or 18 “Holes”

This isn’t a drill per se, but it’s a game I like to play when practicing or warming up before a round.

Take just one ball to the putting green and play 18 holes (or nine if you’re warming up and don’t have time for 18).

“Tee off” from various distances ranging from 4 feet to 30 feet, alternating between multiple breaks.

Let’s use nine holes as an example:

Remember this is all on the same practice hole, but you are just simulating different shots to that same hole

Hole 1: 4 feet straight uphill

Hole 2: 8 feet left to right break

Hole 3: 12 feet right to left downhill

Hole 4: 18 feet straight downhill

Hole 5: 28 feet uphill right to left

Hole 6: 4 feet downhill left to right

Hole 7: 8 feet right to left

Hole 8: 12 feet uphill left to right

Hole 9: 28 feet downhill left to right

You don’t have to be precise. Just vary the distances and types of breaks for each shot. Play the shot into the hole and try to avoid three putts.

This is great practice. It requires more focus than hitting five balls from the same spot on the practice green, which is usually the case. It’s also a great warmup that gives you a feel for the greens.

Golf Aids: The Putting Mirror

The putting mirror is one of the few golf aids I’ve seen pros use consistently. It achieves a few things.

The mirror lets you see where your eyes are and if you are aligned correctly above the ball. Most mirrors allow you to put tee’s into them at various positions. This allows you to do the gate drill we talked about earlier. The markings on the mirror help maintain path control. It’s simple and effective.

There are many of these on Amazon, but I found the one below for $15, allowing tees to be placed in it.

Link: GoSports Golf Mirror ($14.99)

Putting Experts

Ross MacLeod (@rossmacleodputt on Twitter and @rossmacleodputting on Instagram) is an excellent follow.

Phil Kenyon of @KenyonPutting on Twitter is another great follower. I just started following him recently, but you really can’t go wrong with these two. Everything you would ever want to know about putting, along with excellent drills, can be found here.

Thank You

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Til next time.