Improper speed is the primary reason for 3-putts, with my years of instruction showing me that five, 10, 15 and 20 steps are the most common distances a golfer will face.
The following drill will improve your putting by making you focus on a tee instead of the hole. This is a great way to learn the feel and speed of each common distance.
Find the flattest spot on a practice green and set five tees in a line, each five steps apart.
Put one golf ball a step past each tee.
Roll balls from the first tee to the second three times. For all three putts to count, the ball must roll past the tee but remain within a step. If it goes past the tee more than that distance or is short by any length, repeat that putt until the speed is correct three times in a row.
Repeat this methodology from the other tees. Once you’ve learned the correct feel for all putts you’ll have the correct speed for these distances and, the next time you play, more confidence with your stroke.
Without proper speed the line doesn’t matter, so learning the correct speed makes it easier to practice your stroke with greater consistency and better accuracy. To be a good putter you also need to know how far back and through your putter head goes to gauge the proper speed for the distance of your putts.
Jeff Jones is PGA director of instruction at Saticoy Country Club in Somis and one of the country’s top 125 instructors as rated by Golf Digest. Reach him at (805) 485-4956.
