January 23, 2023 9:34 am

As we move through another winter, it’s a good time to consolidate with some putting practice. Here are a few of my favourite exercises to improve the most important aspect of your putting: distance control. The main intention is to practice putting to a smaller target so that when you are aiming at the 4 and a quarter inch golf hole, it looks a little bigger.

Place a tee peg into the practice putting green and put towards that. Start about 2 feet away and hit 3 putts, ensuring you hit the tee each time. If you miss you start again with 3 more. Then move back another 2 feet and repeat the process, except allow yourself to miss one of the 3 putts. Again, then move back another 2 feet and this time allow yourself 2 misses. Now continue moving back 2 feet after every 3 putts to the tee. Now congratulate yourself when you hit the golf tee. Remember, if you can hit something that small, you will not only hole the putt, but you’ll do it dead centre.

Concentrate on feel

Another good distance control drill is to putt balls to the edge of the practice putting green. By not aiming at a hole you are able to just concentrate on the feel required to get the distance of a particular putt. Success is thus not getting the ball in the hole but to get it resting against the fringe of the putting green. Again, move back away further and further from the edge of the practice putting green as you get better and better.

Categorised in: Tip of the month, World of Golf London