Check out Nick Foy Golf’s best list of golf putting drills. Putting makes up a large percentage of your golf score each round so reducing the number of putts is a great start to reducing your golf score lower. Putting is an area of the golf game we recommend practicing at least 50% of your practice time allocation.
Here’s the complete list of golf putting drills! Add these to your practice routine the next time you feel like pulling out the putter!
Resource: Follow these Step by Step Practice Routines with Drills + Video Lessons
21 Important Golf Putting Drills to Practice
#1: Clock Putting Drill
The clock drill helps to improve your consistency on 3-8 foot putts. It also boosts your confidence to make the short ones perfectly.
How to Do Clock Putting Drill:
- Place 3 balls in a straight line at 3, 6, and 9 feet away from the flag. You need to set a total of 12 balls in a 3, 6, 9, and 12 positions of a clock.
- Your ultimate goal is to hit twelve perfect shots.
- Start with the ones which are nearest to the hole, and work your way outward.
- If you miss, start the drill over.
#2: Pull Back Putting Drill
It helps you to work on consistently rolling in six to eight-footers in no time.
How to Do Pull Back Putting Drill:
- Place a golf ball ten feet away from the flag and roll your finest putt.
- Wherever the ball rolls and stops, pull it 1-putter length further away from the designed target or hole. Now, putt again.
- Repeat the process till you make the putt.
- Keep the scorecard as one putt equals birdie, two-putt = par, 3 putts = bogey, and so on.
- Repeat the same process at 20 and 30 feet.
- Here, the goal is to place the ball close to the hole in a few attempts.
Resource: Follow these Step by Step Practice Routines with Drills + Video Lessons
#3: Tiger’s Gate Drill
The gate drill is for those who have problems with putt accuracy. It also helps to develop confidence on the short putts.
How to Do Gate Drill:
- Place two tees three to four feet away from the flag or hole.
- The distance between tees must be wider than the head of the putter you use. It creates a gate for the putter to swing through.
- Hit 12 putts with your lead hand only without hitting the tee.
- Set a target for the number of putts for yourself you need to make in a row before you end the drill.
- The key here is to ensure that the putter head remains on the correct path.
#4: Lag Putting Drill
It is a great drill to get long putts very close to the hole. Here the goal is to improve accuracy and make a putt at a specific target.
How to Do Lag Putting Drill:
- Drop 5 balls ten, twenty, thirty, forty, and fifty ft. away from the hole, all at different lines.
- Hit one putt from the respective location till you get the five putts within a three-foot radius around the hole.
- Somehow, if you fail to do it, start over.
Read: How to Hit Better Lag Putts – Complete Guide
#5: Manilla Folder Drill
Manilla folder drill is one of the best putting drills to control the speed of putts. Controlling putting speed is essential to avoid the dreaded three-putt.
How to Do Manilla Folder Drill:
- Place a Manilla folder 6 to 10 feet away from your position on a green leveled surface.
- Once you hit your putts, try to have the golf ball stop on the Manilla folder.
- The flat surface makes it difficult to hold, making you pay attention to the speed of the putt.
#6: Alignment Rod Putting Drill
It is another putting drill that works on controlling speed. Alignment rod putting drill helps you get the right speed on mid-length putts.
How to Do Alignment Rod Putting Drill:
- Place the alignment rod 1.5 ft behind the hole.
- Take 10 golf balls and start putting from 25-30 ft away from the target.
- Repeat it at least 30 times and give yourself a score using the scoring method below.
- The goal is to putt the golf ball very close to the hole but stay short of the alignment rod.
Scoring system:
- More than or Less than 2ft short = 0
- Past the rod = -1
- Past the target and short of the rod = 1
- Hole the putt = 2
- Initially, a score of 20 or more points is good.
#7: 100 Straight Putts Drill
It helps you build accuracy, make consistently short putts, and take pressure off when playing on the green.
How to Do 100 Straight Putts Drill:
- Place a tee two to three feet away from the hole on a flat spot on the green.
- Now, putt the golf ball into the cup from your position.
- Repeat it 99 more times, and if you miss, start the drill again.
- Make sure to focus on alignment and form.
- It is a great drill to work on technique and building confidence.
- You can use a putting alignment mirror to make the drill more interesting.
Read: 7 Simple Putting Drills to Practice Today
#8: In a line short putting drill
The drill is perfect for competitive practice and helps you to make putt under pressure.
How to Do in A Line Short Putting Drill:
- Place five golf balls in a straight line at 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 feet distances away from the hole.
- Your putt must be relatively straightforward with a little break.
- Putt the ball placed at 3 feet first and work your way back to putting 7 feet.
- The goal is to putt five balls in a row. If you miss, start over.
#9: Phil’s Circle Putting Drill
Phil Mickelson’s circle drill is about developing consistency and confidence from the 3 to 4-foot range.
How to Do Circle Drill:
- Make a 3 or 4 feet circle surrounding the flag and place 10 balls at equal distance.
- Now, putt the balls into the hole. If you miss one, start the drill again.
- Initially, your target must be around 20 to 30 putts in a row, and then you can set it for 50 or 80 or even 100.
#10: Meter Stick Putting Drill
It helps to ensure that you’re putting a good roll on the golf ball and getting a putter-face square at impact.
How to Do Meter Stick Drill:
- Place a metal meter stick around 6 feet away from the flag or any designed target on the straight line.
- Hit your putt when you set the golf ball on the end of the meter stick.
- The target is to make the ball stay on the stick the whole way. If it does, it means the putter face was square during impact.
- It also ensures you putt a nice roll on the golf ball.
Resource: Follow these Step by Step Practice Routines with Drills + Video Lessons
#11: 1-2-3 Putting Drill
The 1-2-3 drill is one of the best putting drills to develop a consistent, steady, putting stroke.
How to Do 1-2-3 Putting Drill:
- Drop 3 balls at 3, 6, and 9 feet distance along the same line.
- Start from the ball, which is close to the hole, and then work your way outward.
- If you miss one, start the drill over.
#12: Putting to the Fringe Drill
It’s a warm-up drill that allows you to learn the speed of the green without even thinking about the directions.
How to Do Putting to The Fringe Drill:
- Place several golf balls 20 to 30 ft away from the fringe and all at different lines.
- Putt to the edge of the fringe from these locations.
#13: Path Drill for Straight Putts
Path drill helps to create a consistent path, moving straight through and back.
How to Do Path Drill:
- Find a flat surface on the green.
- Put two golf clubs on the ground. The distance between the clubs must be wider than the head of the putter you use. It creates a gate for the putter to swing through.
- Place a ball in between the clubs and 10 ft away from the hole. Now, swing between them to make an impact with the ball.
- If you hit any club in the process, you’re not swinging straight.
- Keep the head of the putter low to the ground.
#14: Ladder Putting Drill
The main goal of the ladder drill is to control the distance of your putt.
How to Do Ladder Drill:
- Start by placing a pair of tees at 10, 20, 30, and 40 ft away in the ground. Imagine a ladder to get an idea of the better placement of the tees.
- Now hit a putt to the first tee, which is 10 feet away. Do the same for other tees.
- Try to keep the ball stop close to the tee.
- Go to the first tee and hit a putt so that ball stops at 30ft tee, and move your way backward.
- Repeat it from the opposite direction.
Resource: Follow these Step by Step Practice Routines with Drills + Video Lessons
#15: Putting Arc Tee Drill
Practicing this drill helps you to get consistently smooth, straight strokes.
How to Do Putting Arc Tee Drill:
- Get an 8ft straight putt.
- Take two tees, place one in the ground five feet away from the hole and the other a few inches behind it. They must have a putter head gap between them.
- Place an alignment stick or club to the outside of the one placed behind.
- Now, place a ball in between the tees and roll putt.
- The goal is to make at least 10 putts in a row. If you miss one, start over.
#16: Golf Box Putting Drill
The Golf box putting drill is a great activity to land the ball close to the hole.
How to Do Golf Box Putting Drill:
- Start by creating a rectangular box around the hole. The box size depends on your expertise.
- Place six golf balls at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 feet away from the hole, not in a straight line. Although, you can place them in a straight line if you’re a beginner.
- Putt from the respective locations and if you miss the box, start over.
#17: Putt to a Tee
It is a great drill that focuses more on hitting the target and also emphasizes speed.
How to Do Putt to A Tee Drill:
- Start by placing 3 to 5 tees 20 to 30 ft away from you, and they must not be in a straight line.
- The key here is that instead of putting to a cup, you’re hitting to tee.
- Practice till you hit all the tees in a row.
#18: 4 Corners
If you lack confidence in making the short ones, this drill is for you.
How to Do 4 Corners Drill:
- Imagine a square shape and place 4 tees at the corners, having a distance of one club from the hole.
- Make a putt from one corner and move to the other in a clockwise manner.
- The goal is to make all 4 putts in a row. If you miss it, start the drill again.
- To increase difficulty, try to make 8 putts in a row in a clockwise and counterclockwise manner.
Resource: Follow these Step by Step Practice Routines with Drills + Video Lessons
#19: 3-6-9 Putting Drill
The drill helps to make putts under pressure and also allows you to create smooth, straight putts.
How to Do 3-6-9 Drill:
- Place three tees 3, 6, and 9 ft away from the hole, all in a straight line.
- Drop 3 balls at the first tee.
- Roll putt till each ball is in the hole. If you do it, then move your way to the next tee.
- If you miss one in the process, start over.
#20: Acceleration Drill for Smooth Putts
The acceleration drill ensures that you’re hitting the putts with ample speed and not decelerating during the impact.
How to Do Acceleration Drill:
- Find a straight surface on the green.
- Set an alignment stick just in front of the target or hole.
- Place a ball 3ft away from the hole.
- Hit putts from the respective location with enough power that the ball pops over the stick and falls into the hole.
- If it does not hit the alignment stick, it means you’re not hitting it with enough speed.
#21: Coin Stack Drill – Topspin Drill
It is one of the perfect putting drills to ensure that you’re putting topspin on the putt by swinging upward while striking the ball.
How to Do Coin Stack Drill:
- Place a nickel, dime, or penny behind the ball.
- Hit putts without knocking off the coins placed on the stack.
- If you hit it, start the drill again.
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Work hard,
Nick Foy, Instructor