Time is precious, especially on the golf course. Yet so many golfers waste valuable practice time because they don’t know what to practice or how to practice effectively when it comes to putting.
If you had just 30 minutes to spend on the practice green, here’s how to split your time into three simple, effective 10 minute drills that will help you to improve your putting.
For any golfer to take fewer putts, they need to master three key skills:
1. Starting the ball on line
2. Controlling speed
3. Green reading.
Here’s how you can practice all three:
Drill 1: Start Line – The Gate Drill (10 Minutes)
If you struggle with missing putts, chances are you don’t know if you tend to push or pull the ball. Start by finding a straight 8 foot putt on the green (no hole needed). Use the Visio Elevated String Line or Chalk Line to create a reference for a perfectly straight putt.
Next, place a Visio silver 55mm gate on the line, 19 inches in front of the ball. The challenge? Roll putts through the gate without touching either side. To do this successfully, you’ll need to control your putter face to within 0.75 degrees of error or less at impact.
Outcome: Practicing this drill calibrates your setup, face control, and stroke mechanics for better start-line consistency.
Drill 2: Speed Control – The Ladder Drill (10 Minutes)
Speed control is crucial for avoiding three putts. For this drill, create a 12-foot long by 3-foot-wide zone on the green using four tee pegs positioned at each of the four corners of the zone. Place a fifth tee peg 6 feet back from the zone as your starting point for each putt.
Start by rolling a ball so it just enters the zone. With each putt, aim to roll the next ball a few inches past the previous one, staying within the 12-foot zone. If any ball stops short of the previous putt or rolls past the end and out of the zone, the drill is over.
Tip: Record how many balls you successfully place in the zone and try to beat your score next time.
Outcome: This drill trains you to develop touch, control, and confidence in your speed on the greens.
Drill 3: Green Reading – The Clock Drill (10 Minutes)
Good green reading is the difference between “almost” and sinking the putt. Start by finding a hole on the green and identify the straight downhill putt, this is your 12 o’clock position. Place tee pegs around the hole at four clock positions (3, 6, 9, 12), and all 5 feet back from the hole.
Take your time to read each putt. Notice how each ball breaks differently depending on,
• The slope of the green
• The angle of the ball relative to the hole
• The time the ball takes to reach the hole
By consistently practicing this drill, you’ll learn to predict break more effectively and adjust your aim and speed accordingly.
Outcome: Build confidence in your green reading skills and gain a better understanding of slopes and breaks.
The Bottom Line
In just 30 minutes, these three focused drills, the Gate Drill, Ladder Drill, and Clock Drill help you master the essential skills of putting, starting your ball on line, controlling your speed, and predicting how the ball will roll across various slopes by reading greens.
Stop guessing and start practicing with purpose. You’ll see the difference in your next round. Time to sink more putts and lower your scores. Give these drills a try today!
#practicewithpurpose.
Team Visio
Do the alignment lines on your putter enhance your accuracy, or could they be hindering your performance?
Most golfers use the lines on their putters to aim the face precisely along their chosen start line. This is especially common if you also use a line on your golf ball to assist with aiming. But have you ever considered whether these lines are actually benefiting you?
ou step up, address the ball with your putter, and make a smooth stroke, only to watch the ball veer off line like it had a mind of its own. You swear you aimed it right. But did you? For most golfers, the issue isn’t the stroke. It’s misalignment, starting the ball in the wrong direction from the very beginning.
Do you ever stand over a putt and second guess your read, only to watch the ball miss wide, breaking too much or not enough? You’re not alone. And there’s a chance, the problem isn’t your stroke, it’s the read.
Putting is often lost before the ball even moves. distance, slope (angle & gradient), grain and other factors can all influence how the ball rolls. If you misread those pieces of information, even a good stroke can send the putt off line.
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