“Drive for show, putt for dough.”
There’s a reason why that became a cliché in golf: It’s because it’s true.
The best way to lower your score is to become a better putter. It’s that simple.
If you’re three-putting more often than you one-putt, you’ll almost certainly never be shooting the score that you want.
Everyone goes to the driving range and hits dozens of drivers and count that as practice.
Driving is important. But we all need to work on putting. Here’s a good drill to do on a practice day or before your round.
What You’ll Need
You’ve got all this stuff in your bag already: a putter, four tees, five golf balls and a small plastic ball marker.
What to Do
Find a spot on the practice green 5 or 6 feet from the hole. And make it easy: Find a spot that’s a dead straight putt to the hole.
Set up a gate for the putter to swing through.
Put one tee in the ground on either end of the putter, leaving about a half-inch of room on either side. As demonstrated in the photo, aim for the ball marker that you placed directly in line with the cup, about 2 feet from where you’re putting.
The Goals
Putt each ball from between the tees. Try to make the ball roll over the ball mark on the way to the hole. If it does that, it means you’ve made square contact and started the ball on a straight path to the hole. If done properly, the putter doesn’t hit any tees.
This drill will give you instant feedback on whether your swing path or putter face are consistently in the right place. You’ll know right away if you’re making good contact. When you’ve made five putts in a row, you’ll be in a good rhythm and ready to get out there and improve your score.
If you would like to train with me, please send an email to MikeS@MiamiLakesGolf.com.