In this short video, I demonstrate a simple to learn putting distance drill with my student Yu Rong from the China LPGA Tour. The purpose of this fun drill is to improve awareness and feel for distance putts and ultimately increase your confidence that you can control long range putts to finish inside a relatively small target area.

Use this with my Narrowing Your Focus drill to make a maximum of two putts on any green a much more attainable goal.

HOW TO DO THE PUTTING DISTANCE CONTROL DRILL

1. Using two alignment sticks tied together with a piece of string, align them so the string runs across the front edge of the hole from the direction you will be putting.
2. Measure out from the alignment stick at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 putter lengths (6, 12, 18, 24, 30ft) placing a tee peg in the ground at each distance.
3. Place one more alignment stick or golf club on the ground approximately 36 inches (3ft) behind the hole. This is an indicator stick that tells you if you are hitting the ball too hard.
4. The objective for this drill is to get 3 golf balls from the nearest tee peg to finish passed the string line. If the ball goes into the hole, then great!! But the purpose of this drill is to focus on distance, so, as long as the ball reaches the string line (indicating the front edge of the hole) and doesn’t go beyond the indicator stick laying on the ground, the ball is being controlled the correct distance.
5. Once all 3 balls are finishing in between the string and indicator stick (or in the hole) move back to the second tee peg and continue.
6. Be disciplined and when you miss either short or long, move back to the beginning tee peg and start over.
7. As you move further from the hole, watch the size of putter head swing, and when you hit a good putt, try to replicate the same stroke size, rhythm, and speed with the remaining putts. This will deepen your focus and engage your mind, so the brain is assimilating good feelings during practice which will over time become second nature on the golf course.
8. When the drill has been completed successfully, change the distances between the tee pegs, to 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 putter lengths (9, 18, 27, 36, 45ft), and repeat the drill.

The greater the distance this drill can be completed at, the more confidence will be built up for use on the golf course.

All the time, keep a focus on the size, rhythm, and tempo of the stroke to duplicate it and, if necessary to adjust the next time you are at that distance.

This is a great way to build awareness for the speed of the greens. I will warn you that it will be frustrating when you start, and hugely rewarding when it is completed, and well worth spending some time each week practicing.

You’ll be amazed at how quickly your feel improves on the golf course by using this drill.

Simon

Simon Dewsbury has been a PGA Professional for 20 years, and after working as a Nicklaus/Flick Coach in Britain in the 1990’s pursued a playing career himself. Playing mostly in Europe in the early 2000’s Simon’s playing career ended with a shoulder injury, resulting in a return to coaching. After nearly a decade of Junior Development in the UK, Simon moved to China in the Fall of 2013 to take up the position of Director of Asia/Pacific Player Development for Tiger Group Golf based in Shanghai.