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Putting - drills for pace

RoundersRob

RoundersRob

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I have very little problem reading the correct line for most putts. My problem is with getting the correct pace. I am a "have the ball die into the hole" type putter. (maybe that's the problem) and I end up leaving most putts short. Like 2 feet+ in a lot of cases.

What are some drills to work on to improve my consistency with the pace of my putts?
 
One drill that I like to use when I am working on speed control is to take 5 balls...putt the first one out around 15 feet, then try to stop each of the following putts about two feet short of the previous one.

So your first putt should be around 15 feet and your 5th ball in the 7 foot range.

Works nicely for me...good luck with it.
 
This is the ask The Pro section. Please leave these threads clean until the GolfTec pros have a chance to come in and answer the OP.
 
Can this be moved to somewhere that others can answer?
 
Make a zone a foot deep (hole is not necessary and actually better to not have. Use tees to mark the zone). Place tees at 3, 6, 9, 12 feet...as far as you wanna go. I go up to 30. Use three balls, start at 3 feet. If you get 3 in the speed zone, go back two steps. 2 balls, go back 1. 1 ball, stay where you are. No balls, move forward.

More or less takes the entire afternoon if you do it downhill. I've only finished it a handful of times.
 
Great drill Pete!
 
RR making putts at cup speed is an art and takes a lot of practice. In my opinion it's one of the best ways to putt because you can use all sides of the hole at cup speed.
That being said I used to putt that way and found I decel'd. Now I make sure I finish at least 18" past the cup.

Two good drill: 1. Place an alignment stick 18" behind the hole. The goal it find you line and make a a stroke that if you miss the putt it he ball hits the stick. Basically this will teach you to putt through the hole.
2. Find the center of the green and make 4 putts with 4 balls in different direction. It can be a hole or leaf or a spot on the green. This will teach you the speed of the greens and you'll be able to gage the on course greens better.
Hope these help
 
thepete said:
Make a zone a foot deep (hole is not necessary and actually better to not have. Use tees to mark the zone). Place tees at 3, 6, 9, 12 feet...as far as you wanna go. I go up to 30. Use three balls, start at 3 feet. If you get 3 in the speed zone, go back two steps. 2 balls, go back 1. 1 ball, stay where you are. No balls, move forward.

More or less takes the entire afternoon if you do it downhill. I've only finished it a handful of times.
Click to expand...

I was taught one that sounds like a variation of this.

Use 3 clubs to make 3 sides of a box around a hole (i.e., 2 parallel to each other on each side of the hole, the 3rd club across the other two). Place however many balls you want to use in a direct line, equally distributed from each other (e.g., 2 feet apart).

Putt each ball. 0 points if the ball does not make it into or is wide of the box. 1 point if you miss the putt but put the ball in the box. 3 points if you make the putt. Give yourself a points goal based on the number of balls used - from memory I think it was 10 balls, 20 points???
 
Good tips guys. Thanks.
 
Thanks for the tips guys. Heading to the range in a little bit. Going to give these a try.


Tap Tap Taparoo
 
thepete said:
Make a zone a foot deep (hole is not necessary and actually better to not have. Use tees to mark the zone). Place tees at 3, 6, 9, 12 feet...as far as you wanna go. I go up to 30. Use three balls, start at 3 feet. If you get 3 in the speed zone, go back two steps. 2 balls, go back 1. 1 ball, stay where you are. No balls, move forward.

More or less takes the entire afternoon if you do it downhill. I've only finished it a handful of times.
Click to expand...

I am an idiot so be easy on me. I am just not understanding how the drill is done.
 
Tadashi70 said:
RR making putts at cup speed is an art and takes a lot of practice. In my opinion it's one of the best ways to putt because you can use all sides of the hole at cup speed.
That being said I used to putt that way and found I decel'd. Now I make sure I finish at least 18" past the cup.

Two good drill: 1. Place an alignment stick 18" behind the hole. The goal it find you line and make a a stroke that if you miss the putt it he ball hits the stick. Basically this will teach you to putt through the hole.
2. Find the center of the green and make 4 putts with 4 balls in different direction. It can be a hole or leaf or a spot on the green. This will teach you the speed of the greens and you'll be able to gage the on course greens better.
Hope these help
Click to expand...

I use the first drill all the time for speed. Although my goal is to not hit the stick. Teaches you great speed and to not leave putts short but not kill them where you have a long putt coming back. I start at six feet with three balls and move back a putter each time but if I hit the stick I move up. Great speed drill.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Chunkylover77 said:
I am an idiot so be easy on me. I am just not understanding how the drill is done.
Click to expand...

The object is putt all three balls from each distance into the zone you set up. You start at 3' and work your way back to the longest putt.
By putting to a zone instead of hole it's all speed control instead of make the putt mode. It's a foot deep to signify how
much the ball should roll past the hole. This is how I understand the drill
 
Tadashi70 said:
The object is putt all three balls from each distance into the zone you set up. You start at 3' and work your way back to the longest putt.
By putting to a zone instead of hole it's all speed control instead of make the putt mode. It's a foot deep to signify how
much the ball should roll past the hole. This is how I understand the drill
Click to expand...

So you set up a circle or something that you want to hit the ball into?
 
I am a putt through the hole kinda guy....I used to be a dead weight putter...but I found I left too many putts just inches from the cup...so I now putt to 12-18 inches past the cup like Freddie talked about above....I use the the flag out of the cup on the practice green like Freddie was talking about using the alignment rod...put it about 18 inches behind the cup and the goal is to leave everything past the cup but short of the stick.

Another one I like to do on the practice green for pace on downhill breaking putts is I will find a spot...and I dont worry about a cup....take 5 or 6 balls and I play "leap frog"
I hit the first ball to an area and then try to hit the next one just past the first one and then the next just past that one and so on and so on...the real object is to try to get them as close the the other as I can but just past it without hitting the ball in front....sometimes I will do it at the cup and try to jump my way into the hole....its really good for speed practice.
 
You guys rock. Thank you so much. Lately I have just been staring at the cup as I take my stance. I slowly bring my eyes back to the ball and then putt. I seem to be hitting my distance very well doing this
 
Chunky I was blown away by your pace in Myrtle Beach. You had some long putts that you stopped within a foot of the hole, I would have been happy to get one of those within 5 feet!
 
strangely enough, my PGA instructor taught me to pick a spot in the fringe and hit balls to the fringe trying to hit the same exact spot and increasing the distance away-this taught me how to control my distance and get a predictable roll-it really helped my putting game. and I don't focus mainly on hitting into the hole which frustrates when you miss
 
Thanks Bradd. My putting is slowly coming around. The 2ball is becoming a beast for me and I have been surprised at how well my distance control has been with it
 
Mr. Satchmo said:
strangely enough, my PGA instructor taught me to pick a spot in the fringe and hit balls to the fringe trying to hit the same exact spot and increasing the distance away-this taught me how to control my distance and get a predictable roll-it really helped my putting game. and I don't focus mainly on hitting into the hole which frustrates when you miss
Click to expand...

Here is the issue I see with putting to a spot. It becomes an aim drill instead of free flowing stroke. Putting to an area will let you free up that stroke.
Putting to the fridge is something Tom Watson talked about many moons ago. It's a good drill as well.
To me the objective of my putting is to let the hole get in the way of the ball.
 
Tadashi70 said:
Here is the issue I see with putting to a spot. It becomes an aim drill instead of free flowing stroke. Putting to an area will let you free up that stroke.
Putting to the fridge is something Tom Watson talked about many moons ago. It's a good drill as well.
To me the objective of my putting is to let the hole get in the way of the ball.
Click to expand...

It's really helped me a ton, I focus on both the free flow stroke with the fringe area and on the hole/slope after
 
Mr. Satchmo said:
It's really helped me a ton, I focus on both the free flow stroke with the fringe area and on the hole/slope after
Click to expand...

Any drill that get a flow to the stroke is key.
 
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