How to Practice Putts: Learn the Circle Drill
One of the most asked questions among golfers worldwide is ‘how come I putt so well while practicing, then can’t seem to make a putt on the course”? Typically, the answer lies more in the actual practice session than with playing behavior on the course.
Keep in mind there are two distinct types of putting drills to help golfers improve their game. The first set of drills focuses on simple improvement by taking different examples of situations you might find on the greens and practicing. As an example, here is a popular putting drill that many golfers use to practice technique, distance control, pressure, and target line management.
Circle the Flag Putting Drill
1. Start by placing four to six balls about 1 foot from the flag in a circle surrounding the cup.
2. Putt each ball in the cup observing different reads from different angles.
3. Now, back up a few feet and repeat the same process. Make each putt from this distance.
4. Keep moving out one to two feet after each successful round of putts per circle.
Take mental notes of where you experience the highest number of missed putts. Find the distance where you are most uncomfortable and begin doubling your practice efforts there for the quickest improvement.
Without taking away any of the benefits to improvement you might see with a drill like this, it is still important to note this is not what really happens on the course while playing, is it? In fact, some performance experts claim this only makes a golfer a better ‘practicer‘ as opposed to a better player. What a golfer experiences on the course can be very different as he is playing with only one ball and changing targets on every green.
Trying to hit four, six or even twenty balls in a row does not resemble what we actually do on the course. So, why do golfers practice like this? The real answer is to practice like you play! Great putting drills like the one mentioned above can serve as core improvement drills during the week or for specific practice time. However, in order to more closely resemble real course situations, try a 10 minute warm up before each round.
Here’s how it works. Begin by having a clear objective for your ten minute putting warm up. Most golfers will be thinking about how to get a feel for the greens they are about to play as well as prepare their mind for the upcoming round with some strong confident putts. Use only one ball during this short warm up. Playing with one ball not only better prepares you, but helps you to better trust and confidence.
Practice rolling a ball across the green from varying distances while paying attention to speed, feel and control. Practice lag putting uphill, downhill, and side hills to prepare you for the course undulations and slope changes. Continue using only one ball while working your way around the putting green selecting putts ranging from two feet to twenty feet and everything in between. Take your time to read each putt and repeat any pre shot routine you have developed.
Watch the ball go in the hole each and every time. Try not to give yourself any gimmes so you can keep building confidence. If you are missing putts in this mini warm up session, take note of any consistencies you can make up for on the course, for example, you missed the cup repeatedly to the left or to the right or perhaps a foot or two past the hole. This is the best feedback mechanism to prepare you to transfer your practice session to the course.
