5 Extremely Effective Putting Drills

Every golfer knows, you drive for show, but you putt for dough. The truth is that no matter what Arizona golf course you frequent, your short game and putting have to be “on par” if you want to have an amazing round. Hitting the long ball does feel good, but we can’t all aspire to drive like Bryson DeChambeau. If your putting isn’t clean, it doesn’t matter how much ground you gain on the fairway, your scores are going to suffer.

Learn to sink more putts with to these tips from the team at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club and various pros from around the world. 

Step 1 – Pick a target on the ground at least 20 feet away from you, such as the bottom of the flagstick. Burn that target into your brain.

Step 2 – Close your eyes, raise your arms, keeping all else very still, and point your two index fingers where you believe the target to be (still with those eyes closed).

Step 3 – Open your eyes and note where your fingers are pointing in relation to the target.

According to Dr. Craig Farnsworth, O.D., “…many players are depth deficient. They perceive the location of the hole as closer than it truly is. In some cases, their perceptual error is 25 percent. That means that a 25-footer looks like it only needs to travel 20 feet. That’s a huge cost misjudgment.”

Many new golfers push or pull the putt off line. This is caused from an in-to-out or out-to-in swing path. The goal is to keep the swing even and keep a consistent path.

Find a flat area on the green and place two clubs on the ground wide enough to place the putter head behind the ball. Swing the putter between the two clubs and hit the ball. If the putter hits any of the clubs, you are not swinging the putter down the target line. Make sure the putter head stays low to the ground and follows through.

A great drill that helps you find a solid stroke is to hit a series of putts with one leg in the air. This acts to de-stabilize you and any unnecessary movements will throw you and your stroke completely off balance. Hit 10 or 20 putts with one foot in the air and you’ll set a far more solid stroke.

Step 1 - Place a tee in the ground at 10 feet, 20 feet, 30 feet, and 40 feet away.

Step 2 - The purpose of this drill is to control the distance you hit each putt.

Step 3 - This drill begins by hitting a putt to the first tee, which is 10 feet away followed by a 20 footer, a 30 footer, and 40 footer trying to get the ball to stop as close to each tee as possible.

Step 4 - Now it’s time to theoretically close the ladder. From the first tee, hit a 30-foot putt, followed by a 20-foot putt, followed by a 10-foot putt to the final tee. Now you have successfully opened and closed the ladder.

Step 5 - The next step is to repeat this drill from the opposite direction.

Step 1 - After you’ve read the line and gone through your routine, settle over the ball.

Step 2 - The aim here is to keep your eyes on the back of the ball, which is the contact point for the putter, for a brief period before starting the putting action long enough to say “back of the hole”. You could also count 1-2-3 and then putt on “4.”

Step 3 - Immediately after each putt (before you see where the ball went), grade yourself out of 5 on the quality of the strike, so this starts to become the goal. You’ll start to see that the better the quality of your strike (out the sweet-spot) the better the result of the putt.

At Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club members have the opportunity to test drive new equipment at our Club Fittings and Demo Days. During these events, golf club manufacturers set up shop on our driving rage to showcase their newest equipment. It’s a great way to learn about and compare different brands all in one place. 

What The Pros Say
“There is no similarity between golf and putting; they are two different games – one played in the air and one played on the ground.” ~ Ben Hogan

“Aim the Putter, then align your body.” ~ Tom Watson 

“A pre-putt routine helps you stay nice and relaxed so you can make the best stroke possible.” ~ Tiger Woods

“Bad putting stems from thinking 'How' instead of 'Where'.” ~ Jackie Burke Jnr 

“Gripping the putter too tightly is one of the surest ways to miss a putt of any length, for it is proof in the first place that you are not relaxed and that you are over anxious.” ~ Walter Hagen 

“But no matter what, you still got to get the ball in the hole. No matter how well you play, if you're not knocking in those putts, it's hard to get the job done.” ~ Justin Rose 

Want a little extra help, members can schedule lessons with our incredible staff of golf professionals. Contact us today at the golf shop:  480-983-1411.

If your looking to read more on golf and how to improve your game look no further. Golf Tips for Avoiding Shanks and Avoiding Double and Triple Bogeys have a wealth of information that every golfer should know.