Gate Drill
When you think about it, there is really no excuse for not becoming a great putter.
It is the one golf skill that you can practice every single day, rain or shine.
Yet, most golfers are actually horrendous putters and there is only one reason… they don’t put in the work.
With this post you will learn exactly how to become a great putter.
First, let’s define “great putter.”
The typical tour pro averages 28 to 29 putts per round (remember, any shot off the green is not a putt, even if you use your putter).
So that means that they make at least seven or eight one putts per round, assuming they have no three putts.
Tour pros are very good at making putts inside of ten feet.
In fact, from 5 to 10 feet, the average PGA Tour player converts a shade under 57% of the time.
The main reason they are able to do this is that they have developed a consistent putting stroke and routine.
How to improve your putting stroke
Growing up, I played with a number of really good golfers and they all had different putting strokes.
Back then, putting was a bit different. Greens that were considered to be fast only rolled about 10 on the stimpmeter.
Back when I played in the PA Amateur at Oakmont in 1987, the greens rolled at about 12 on the stimpmeter and they were considered to be the fastest greens in the world.
Now, they roll at about 15 there and at Augusta National.
Back when I was growing up, the two best putters I played with had putting strokes that I would describe as a short, popping type of stroke.
It is rare to see a stroke like that on the PGA Tour now.
With this in mind, I believe there are certain tools you can use to build a consistent putting stroke.
These include the Eyeline Golf Edge Putting Rail and Mirror. Those are my most recommended golf training aids aside from a launch monitor.
I recommend working on your putting stroke at home for 10 to 15 minutes per day.
If you don’t have a putting mat at home, I recommend this Big Moss putting mat due to the smooth surface and speed.
The way I work on my putting stroke with these items goes like this…
- Set up the Edge rail and putting mirror so that the mirror is aligned with your target, and the rail is parallel.
- Get yourself lined up properly with your eyes over the ball and shoulders parallel to your target.
- Just make putting strokes without a ball, and with the heel of the putter gliding against the putting rail (it will come with instructions on how to use it).
- I like putting with an even tempo as I swing the putter back and through. This allows me to have greater distance control.
- Make lots of practice strokes without a ball, then start putting a ball in the slot on the mirror.
- After you’ve hit a bunch of putts with the mirror and rail, remove them and hit putts without them.
Over time, you will develop muscle memory that will turn into a solid and consistent putting stroke.
Build confidence with your short putts
My favorite drill for building confidence for the short putts is the Gate Drill.
- Select a 3 foot straight putt on the practice green.
- Place a tee just outside the toe and heel of the putter when in the address position (about ¼ inch on either side).
- The goal in the drill is to make the 3 foot putt and not contact the tees with the putter face. (the closer the tees are to the edge of the putter, the more difficult the task)
- You may notice one tee will get hit more than the other. This will indicate your dominant tendency so you can make adjustments.
Tiger Woods would often finish his putting sessions using this drill and forcing himself to make 100 of these three foot putts in a row.
If you want to be a great putter, this is the kind of stuff you need to do!
Become a great lag putter
Distance control, or lag putting, is critical to becoming a great putter.
This will help you avoid three putts which is just throwing away shots on the golf course.
Set yourself up somewhere on the practice green where you are at least 30 feet from the edge.
Place a tee about 3 feet from the edge of the green.
Throw down ten balls and hit ten putts toward the tee you placed near the edge. Try to hit the putts so that they end up between the tee and the edge.
After you hit ten putts, count how many balls you kept between the tee and the edge of the green. Then repeat and try to beat that score.
Repeat until you are able to hit all ten putts between the tee and the edge of the green.
Final Thoughts on how to become a great putter
These are just a few tips for how to become a great putter, but they will go a long way toward helping you achieve that goal.
As part of my Samurai Golfer program I’ve devoted considerable attention to helping you become a Master Putter.
As mentioned, there really is no excuse for being a bad putter, as it is the easiest skill to practice.
Now get to work!
