Skip to content
Using a yardstick is a good way to measure whether you're pushing or pulling your putts.
Using a yardstick is a good way to measure whether you’re pushing or pulling your putts.
Author

Three-foot putts sound easy but can be confidence shakers when missed. We’ve all been there, so practice is important for conquering the nerves. This is my favorite drill for short putts because of the immediate feedback:

Get a yardstick, preferably metal because of its low-profile design. Find a level putt, place a ball on the far end of the yardstick, set up and putt the ball the length of the yardstick. The result will tell you right away if you’re pushing or pulling putts or setting up with an open or closed clubface.

I use this drill to practice 3-foot putts all the way to 10-footers. My favorite aspect of the drill is that it can be done anywhere on a flat surface. I often do it in my living room, on a practice green or in my hotel room before a big event. It’s a simple drill that’s also cheap, since the price for a yardstick like this is roughly $3.

Jackie Kazarian is an assistant golf professional and a PGA apprentice at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point. She can be reached at (949) 542-4840.