Consistent Golf: 4 Putting Drills to Lower Your Score

Consistent Golf: 4 Putting Drills to Lower Your Score

Putting is a key component to being a more consistent golfer. Most golfers will hit anywhere from 26 to 40 putts per round. That is somewhere between 30% and 40% of shots. 

Obviously, with this many shots coming while on the putting surface, you need to be a good putter to score well. 

The great thing is that it does not take a ton of time to become a relatively good putter for your handicap. One hour per week or less of concentrated practice will have you putting better than ever before. There is one question that remains though. 

What should these practice sessions look like?

I hope this goes without saying, but you shouldn't go to a putting green for practice and just start hitting balls. This is a great way to warm up before a round to see how fast the greens are and get a feel for your putter on that particular day. However, there is no technique or pressure work being done. 

That brings us to 2 primary drills: 

1. Technique drills

2. Pressure drills

Technique drills are where you are working on your grip style and pressure, the putting stroke, hitting the ball square, and starting it on the correct line. Pressure drills are designed to give you a psychological feel to simulate play on the course. Essentially, you play games where you keep score or if you miss a putt you start the drill over. 

That is where the 4 simple putting drills come into play. There are a ton of drills out there but my 4 favorites are: 

1. The Four Tee Drill

2. Around the Clock

3. Lag Putting Game

4. 9 Hole Draw Back

The Four Tee Drill

The tee drill is a favorite basic drill designed to help you have a consistent putting stroke and get the ball started on the correct line every time. Here is how to set it up: 

Grab four tees. Place two of the tees just wider than the head of the putter so you can still swing the putter through the gap. Then take the other two tees and place them 8 to 10 inches away (towards your target) from the first two tees. These tees should be just a little bit wider than a golf ball. 

After you set up the tees, hit as many golf balls as you require to get a feel for the ball coming off on the correct line. The goal is to not hit any of the tees with the club or the ball. Once you have hit a few and feel comfortable, it's time to move on to the next drill. 

Around the Clock

Around the Clock is a game that many dread because it is packed with pressure. However, that is why it is such a great drill and will make you feel very confident when you have a 3-foot putt (assuming you don't take tap-ins wherever you want). Here is how to set it up: 

Take four golf balls. Place them on all sides of one hole (preferably, you give yourself an uphill, downhill, left-breaking, and right-breaking putt). Now, all you do is go around to each ball and try to make the putt. Here is where it gets tricky though. 

You need to go around and make each ball 5 times without missing. If you miss, you start the game over. However, depending on your handicap, you can make this a bit easier. 

• 20+ handicap - go around 2x

• 15-20 handicap - go around 3x

• 10-15 handicap - go around 4x

• 0-10 handicap - go around 5x

If you are a plus handicap, you may even consider taking this game from a 3-foot putt to a 5-foot putt and then going around 5x. 

I like to do this drill to end my putting practice for the day to make it even more pressure-packed. 

Lag Putting Game

Lag putting is a little bit less structured than some of these other drills. The goal with lag putting is to get the ball within 3 feet of the hole as frequently as possible. If you make it, great. But the goal is to not have a 3 putt in these situations. Here is how you can set up a lag-putting game: 

Take 3 golf balls and place them roughly 20, 30, and 40 feet away from a hole. Try to get each ball within a putter's length away from the hole. You can keep score with this as well. 

• Inside a putter length: (-1)

• Outside a putter length but not 2 putter lengths: (0)

• Outside two putter lengths: (+1)

Do this drill 3 to 5 times on the putting green and keep your score. On your next practice session, try to beat your best score. 

There are many other variations to become a better lag putter. It doesn't matter which one you choose to do as long as you do them. These drills will help you understand pace control which is crucial in all putts, but especially these very long putts that you will most likely not make. 

Get it close and save yourself some strokes

9-Hole Drawback

The 9-hole drawback drill is all about the mid-range putting game. This is where you need to become very good if you want to get close to scratch golf or a plus handicap golfer. Here is how to set it up: 

Get one golf ball and choose a hole. Pick a spot 8-15 feet away. Make sure that throughout this drill you give yourself uphill, downhill, and left and right-breaking putts. 

Set your ball up and try to make the putt. If you miss (say it went past the hole by 2 feet), take the ball and move it away from the hole by 1 putter length (now you have a 5-foot putt) and try to make that putt. Repeat until you have made the putt. 

Complete this drill for 9 holes. 

Here is how to keep score: 

• One putt = -1

• 2 putts = par

• 3 putts = +1

• 4 putts = +2

• 5 putts = +3 

Your goal, just like on the course, is to have the lowest possible score. As always, try to beat your best score the next time you do the drill. 

Wrapping Up Putting Drills

Putting has been and will always be one of those things that can save or destroy a round. The confidence you build when you drain a 15-footer, whether it is for birdie or bogey, is amazing. But you can easily destroy your confidence with a 3 putt or even worse... a 4 or 5 putt. 

All four of the drills we went over can help you build confidence on the green and make you a better putter when you get the course. However, sometimes you don't have all the time in the world to work on your game. If that is the case, there are 2 drills I would focus my time on. 

1. Lag Putting Game

2. Around the Clock

These two drills will cover the things you need most. That is understanding pace control and confidence when stepping up to those short putts. 

As always, here at Consistent Golf Solutions, we want to give you the tips you need to play more consistent golf, lower your scores, and beat your friends on the weekend.