Putting Speed Control takes practice. This is an article on a speed control game that is in “printable” PDF format. It’s a great way to keep track of what you are doing well or where you may need to improve.
This is a game that I practice in some way every time I practice putt.
The photo I’ve posted from my practice yesterday has plastic directional arrows and soccer cones for the layout.
It would be a good way for a coach to setup the game for several players.
However, when I do this during regular practice, I use white quarter size ball markers and or red plastic divot tools.
I would suggest setting the 5 yard markers further off to the side to allow for right and left handed players.
You don’t want the markers to be in the way.
If you have the time, it’s not a bad idea to putt in both directions.
That would mean putting a square or circle at both ends and completing the game twice.
There may be significant breaks over 60 feet. That’s good.
I always suggest practicing many different things in golf.
Finding yourself in a situation on the course that you have never practiced leaves you guessing.
I set this up using a 100 foot tape measure
Alternative Setup
To set this up with ball markers and divot tools I use a regular golf hole.
I have a string with a mark at 3 feet. There is a paperclip at the other end.
I hook it on the pin and move around in a circle putting down about 8 or 10 white ball markers.
This gives you a 6 foot circumference and 3 foot diameter.
Why ball markers? The ball rolls over them giving you a more realistic idea of where the ball would actually end up.
Then I place a divot tool in the green every 5 feet up to 60 feet from the hole.
As I complete the goal for each 5 foot marker, I remove it from the green so it’s easy to see which ones are completed.
Here is a link to our previous article on setting up practice drills. There is more detail on setting up the ball markers and divot tools.
Printable Putting Speed Control Game PDF
There is a couple of ways play this game.
I call the first way “a start over game.” You attempt the number of putts for each location. If you don’t succeed at a location, you do it again until you are successful.
This is OK if you have the time to miss putts and try again.
I can tell you that it took me an hour to setup the arrows and cones, complete all the putts and tear it back down.
The second way is to attempt one putt at each location. Score one point for a made putt or for a putt kept in the 6 foot square. Repeat this 3 times for a total of 36 putts.
Keep score so you have a record of what you are doing well and where you may need improve.
Here is a link to the printable game in the image below.
