Distance Control Golf Putting Drill
Overview: The main benefit of this golf putting drill is to enable you to get the correct distance in your putts by controlling the length of your putting stroke. The length of your backstroke should be about the same distance as your follow through length. In our earlier lesson we learned it is important to regulate our distance by changing the length of our stroke. We do not want to apply any sudden burst of power with our hands.
If we want to make a 30 foot putt we should not take the club back only a few inches and then suddenly try to hit it hard to make the hole. With this drill we want to practice on controlling the correct length of our backswing and follow through swing.
To Begin this Drill:
- Use four balls for this drill.
- Three balls will be used as your guide and will form a row.
- The back ball will mark off how far back you want your back stoke length, the center ball is where you will be putting from and the forward ball is how far you want your follow through length to be.
- Place another ball, this is the ball you will be putting, a few inches away from the center ball and parallel to the row.
- Now practice taking a putt with the objective of taking back your putter head no farther back than the back ball as your guide and no more forward than the front ball as your guide.
Many average golfers have a problem of too short of a follow through length. They do not complete the stroke because they are to anxious to look up to quickly.
Practicing this drill will help you control the length of your putting stroke.
- For shorter putts spread out your guide balls closer together.
- The white and red line above represents the entire length of the stoke for a shorter putt.
- Practice hitting about 10 balls from this spot.
- If your stoke length is consistent and your rhythm is the same then all the putts should travel the same distance.
- Now repeat the same practice from the outside guide balls for a longer putt. Again, the goal is for all the balls to go the distance.
Remember the goal of this golf putting drill is to control the length of your stoke because this is the main element that should determine the distance of your putt.
Maintain a smooth rhythm and tempo to all of your strokes and try not to swing harder for longer putts and softer for shorter putts
Keep practicing this golf putting drill until you can consistently achieve the same distance with varying lengths of your putting stoke
If you change the speed of the putter by swinging slow then fast or fast to slow you will not be able to consistently control your distance. You goal is to have a smooth and flowing tempo through out your entire swing.
PUTTING TIP: As mentioned earlier, Many average golfers have a problem of too short of a follow through length. The reason for this is because they look up too soon. They do not complete the stroke because they are to anxious to see where the ball went. This results is their shoulders will turn too soon and the putter clubface will not be square to the target line.
If this is a problem for you, try counting to two in your mind before looking up. You want to form a habit that is second nature of staying down well after the follow through of your stoke is finished.
The next golf putting drill lesson will help you become more consistent with your putts and also help improve on controlling your distance.
Continue to Next Lesson Consistency Golf Putting Drill
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