This article is a list of Spring putting tune up drills, but it certainly could be used as a regular routine year round.
There are plenty of drills listed here. You could easily break this up into practice for two different days.
I believe the following putting drills are essential.
1 • Accuracy Drill
It’s very important to start every practice with an accuracy drill. I do that year round indoors and at the practice green during the regular season.
This is a flat lie drill… or the flattest place you can find on the green. I use a six foot PuttOUT putting mat to do these two drills indoors.
The kit comes with a mat, a putting mirror with an adjustable putter gate, a pro level ball gate, and a pressure trainer ramp.
Outside, I set it up pretty much the same way. I use a PuttOUT compact putting mirror with tees on each side for a putter gate and a pro level or 50 mm (1.96 in.) ball gate.
The drill is straight putts from 3 and 6 feet. I challenge myself to make 10 in a row from 3 feet and 5 in a row from 6 feet.
That means without hitting the putter gate or ball gate. You could use a 50 mm (1.96 in.), 60 mm (2.36 in.) or a 70 mm (2.75 in.) ball gate depending upon your skill level.
2 • Star Drill
I like to set this up as a 5 pointed star with balls at 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 feet. These should include breaking putts.
Set this up five times or at 5 different holes. The score would be your best out of 25 putts. Each made putt equals one point.
Some people prefer a 4 pointed star with balls 90 degrees apart. (12, 3, 6 and 9 O’clock). If you do this you could set up balls at 3 feet, 6 feet, and 10 feet.
The score would be your best out of 12 putts.
Some people don’t keep score. They start over at a level if they miss.
3 • Breaking Putts
For this drill, I build out a clock setup for 3 foot and 6 foot putts. I have a string marked at 3 feet and 6 feet to make this easier to layout.
If you use a real hole to do this, you could hook one end of a paper clip around the pin and the opposite end would be attached to the string.
When I use a target hole, I push a tee thru the middle. Then hook the paper clip on it to layout the clock pattern.
At 3 feet, lay out 8 stations. More than that gets to be too close together. At 6 feet layout 10 stations.
I use quarter size ball markers for putt starting points.
Putt the 3 footers first and then remove the 3 foot ball markers so they are out of the way.
Try to make all the 3 footers and 6 footers to complete the drill.
Alternatively, keep score by giving yourself one point for each putt made. A perfect score would be 18.
Making 10 six footers in a row is a challenge.
4 • Never up Never In
For this drill, set up reasonably straight putts at 3, 6, 10, 15, and 20 feet.
Those are the length putts where I really attempt to make the putt.
There are 3 putts from each location. For a total of 15.
Score 2 points for making the putt. Score one point for going past the hole, but not more than 18 inches.
Leaving the ball short or going by the hole more than 18 inches is zero points.
5 • Lag Putting
The object here is 3 putt avoidance and getting close enough to make your second putt. If you make one, it’s a bonus.
Set up a marker at 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 feet. I like to try for a 6 foot diameter around the hole. In other words, no 2nd putt would be longer that 3 feet.
Score 2 points for a made putt and 1 point for a putt within 3 feet of the cup.
Anything outside of 3 feet on the first putt is zero putts.
Try to make the 2nd putt… don’t just pick it up.
Others suggest that you try for a leave that is no more than ten percent of the putt length. Example: 50 footer – no second putt longer than 5 feet.
• Alternative 30 minute drill
This may be a new set of putting tune up drills I try this year. It should take 30 minutes.
It’s pretty simple. The object is to make as many of these as you can and keep score. Each made putt is one point.
I would mix it up and give yourself some breaking putts. If they were all straight putts, it’s pretty repetitive.
All straight putts from the same place becomes a “Goldie locks” exercise. Too cold, too hot, just right.
In golf terms, too short, too long, and in the hole.
Don’t just put from the same location. Mix it up.
- 4 – 1 foot putts
- 8 – 2 foot putts (4 putts twice)
- 10 – 3 foot putts (5 putts twice)
- 10 – 4 foot putts (5 putts twice)
- 10 – 5 foot putts (5 putts twice)
- 10 – 6 foot putts (5 putts twice)
Printable Putting Drills
Click here to download a PDF file of printable putting drills
Short Game Test
Dave Pelz Short Game Test – This is a PDF printable document and includes pitching, chipping, bunker shots, green reading and putting. It is not a short test and may require more than one practice session. I have tried to do this once per month over two practice sessions.
I’ve added in a score sheet for the drills including daily totals.