Let’s cut to the chase: your game can go from good to great with better putting. Here are three crucial drills you should focus on to improve your putting accuracy and speed control to make more 10-15 footers: 1. Putter Gate, 2. Ball Gate, and 3. Hole Gate.
Start by finding a straight, 6-foot putt on the practice green.
1. Putter Gate: Perfecting Your Distance Control
Off-center contact with your putter can affect your speed and accuracy. The Putter Gate Drill is your key to mastering precision contact.
The Drill: Place two tees in the ground, one outside each edge of your putter. Consider this your “gate” that your putter needs to pass through.
The Feedback: Here’s the goal: make your stroke without hitting either of the tees. If you hit the outside tee, it means you would have made contact with the ball in the heel of your putter. On the other hand, if you hit the inside tee, you would strike the ball on the toe of your putter. Take a few practice swings to gauge your tendency. Then start rolling putts, focusing more on making the putt, rather than avoiding the tees. Keep practicing, and you’ll notice your contact getting better over time.
2. Ball Gate: Honing Your Start Line Accuracy
There is a huge premium on face control when it comes to putting accuracy. To improve your face control, try the Ball Gate drill.
The Drill: Position two tees on your target line, just slightly wider than the width of a golf ball, and about 2 feet from your impact point.
The Feedback: Now, try to make the putt, using the “gate” you’ve formed with the tees for face angle feedback. If you hit the left tee (assuming you’re a right-handed golfer), your putter face was closed at impact. If you hit the right tee, your putter face was open. The quick feedback this drill provides allows you to adjust as you continue to practice.
3. Hole Gate: Aiming for the Smaller Targets
Using “less of the hole” from 6 feet drastically improves your chances of making putts from 10-15 feet. The Hole Gate drill is designed just for this.
The Drill: Align a tee with the left and right edges of the cup at the front of the hole. Your task is to sink your putt without hitting either tee.
The Feedback: If you hit the left tee, your ball would’ve missed on a longer putt. The same goes if you hit the right tee. Regular practice with this drill will tighten your start-line control, allowing you to make more putts at longer distances.
