You can’t break 80 if you putt poorly. Good putting saves strokes. But many of us are average putters at best. To improve, you must first build a solid, repeatable stroke. This putting drill helps you do it:
Find a flat straight eight-foot putt on a practice green. Create a gate with two tees straddling the putting line. Make the gate wide enough so there’s a quarter of an inch space on both sides of your putterhead, which should be centered on the putting line. Your putter must be able to pass through this gate at impact.
Set a third tee a putterhead length behind the gate’s outside tee. The putter’s toe should just touch this tee. You’ll have to make a slight arc to avoid hitting the tee when putting. This tee prevents you from swinging back to the outside during your takeaway.
Place a fourth tee about three inches in front of the gate’s inside tee. This fourth tee should be right on the heel of your putterhead while centered on the target line. The putterhead should arc just around the tee on your stroke. This fourth tee prevents you from swinging too far inside. If you steer the putterhead straight, you’ll miss to the right.
Work on your stroke by swinging within the tees. After practicing your stroke, place two more tees about half way to the hole. These tees should be centered on the putting line. They also should be just wide enough to let the ball pass through. Now hit some putts.
Ideally, you want to use a stroke that stays inside the guided tees while sending the ball through the forward tees. If you can do that and sink the putt, your putter head was square at impact. Practice this drill as often as you can to dramatically improve your putting.
