A Simple Pre-game Putting Drill For Amateur Golfers
One problem I see frequently with a lot of amateur golfers is their lack of effective putting practice before a round of golf. They often make the same putting mistakes over the opening 6 holes of a round. Mistakes such as the following:
Putts that barely make it 50% of the way to the hole Putts that take a trajectory away from the hole Putts that run past the hole leaving difficult second putts
For all amateurs, the value of spending some time on the practice green can pay huge dividends by saving you shots over the first six holes. Here is a five minute drill to be performed before a round of golf that will help you zone in on your putting alignment and gauge the speed of the greens.
Alignment
Start by doing your normal routine of lining up a putt and address the ball as you normally would. Before taking the putt place a club down at your toes to show the line you are taking. Step away and look down the line of the club on the ground. Is this pointing toward the hole? If not, then perhaps your technique of lining up shots needs to be revised so try picking a different target to aim for (one closer to your ball) and try again with another technique. A simple alignment technique is to stand behind the ball and visualise the trajectory you expect the ball to take on the way to the hole. Then simply pick a target point along the trajectory that you wish to aim for and line up your body to this target.
Distances
You can practice putting at several distances but it’s generally easier to recall the feeling of putting a short, medium and long distance putt. Here is the putting drill you should do.
Start with a long putt. Try to make a dozen of these long putts and try getting the distance of your putt correct. Get the rhythm of your swing consistent and just vary the distance you pull the putter head back.
Next try a medium putt length of about three metres, or preferably, a distance which you find yourself playing often. Again, take up to 8 to12 putts and focus on getting near the hole, and importantly not falling short. The emphasis on this practice drill is to be accurate so you wish to see some putts go in the hole.
Lastly, pick some short putts within one to two meters of the hole. You will want to get a confidence boost here by seeing a high percentage of putts going in.
In conclusion, all amateurs should perform some putting drills prior to a round of golf to gauge the green speed, even if they play the course regularly, as factors such as the green’s soil water content, the time of the day and the length of the grass can adversely affect the ball speed.
Discover more putting tips by visiting Tom’s site, the Perfect Golf Swing HQ, as there’s a great putting guide with the Simple Swing eBook.















































