Save Strokes Using Pre-Round Putting Drills

Great putting drills help you sink more putts, but many golfers don’t hit the practice green before the round. You only need to look at the pros to see that your putting stroke will be different from round to round. What can you do about it?

This article will talk about some drills for calibrating the stroke that you have for the round you’re about to play.

Basics – Don’t Ever Skip This Step

1. Find a hole that’s on a flat surface of the green with as little break in any direction as possible.
2. Use three to five golf balls. I like using five for this part of the drill.
3. Put the balls evenly around the hole
4. Sink 10 putts from one foot
5. Sink 10 putts from two feet
6. Sink 10 putts from three feet
7. Sink 10 putts from six feet

Lagging Perfection

The average distance for the first putt on a green after the approach shot is 17.1 feet. That means that the odds of sinking that putt are low, but attempting to make the putt and leaving the next putt within 1-2 feet of the hole makes a two putt almost certain.

Lag putting is important and getting your feel for the proper lag distance can easily save you two strokes per round and possibly more. If you don’t get the lag right before the round, it can cost you much more. You really don’t want to be figuring out the lag on the greens of the first few holes. Do it now on the practice green.

Use a hole with some slope against the grain and put several balls 15 feet below the hole. Putt until you are consistently putting within 2 feet of the hole. Now, go 15 feet above the hole and down grain and do the same things.

For tips on reading greens go to Putting Tips – 5 Tips on Reading Greens.

The Breakers

If that’s all the time you have, have a great round. If you have a few more minutes, work on putts with big breaks.

Find two holes, one with a break with the grain and another with the break against the grain. Practice putts from 1, 2, 3, 6 and 15 feet at each hole.

You’re Calibrated

That should give you a good feel for how your stroke is working with the conditions on the practice green. The course greens may be a little different, but at a least your stroke will be more certain and you will only be adjusting to the greens and not to the differences in your stroke.

Try these putting drills before your next round. Leave the house 15 minutes early if you need to. It makes a 2-4 stroke difference in my round. That could be a big difference, maybe the difference in your personal best score or breaking 80 or 90.

Putting Drill - Use Two Balls for a Square Putter Head