Want to master pressure putting? These 7 drills are designed to help you handle high-stakes situations on the green. Each drill targets specific skills like focus, precision, and distance control, simulating the pressure of competitive play. Whether you’re refining short putts or tackling tricky slopes, these exercises will sharpen your mental and physical game.
Key Drills:
- Circle Drill: Sink consecutive putts in a 3-foot radius to build consistency.
- Hurricane Drill: Practice focus by putting through distractions.
- Plate Drill: Improve aim and distance control by stopping balls within a plate’s boundary.
- Coin Gate Drill: Sharpen alignment by rolling the ball through a small gate.
- Distance Ladder Drill: Sink putts from increasing distances without missing.
- Left Arm Hold Drill: Use one hand to improve stroke fundamentals and control.
- Mushroom Drill: Tackle putts from various angles and distances for a mental challenge.
Quick Tip:
Start with drills that match your current skill level and gradually increase difficulty. Combine consistency-focused drills with pressure-building exercises to develop a well-rounded putting game.
Sink Pressure Putts Like a Pro: Master the Top 3 Drills
1. Circle Drill
The Circle Drill transforms regular practice into an intense, high-pressure challenge. Start by arranging golf balls in a circle with a 3-foot radius. The goal? Sink each putt consecutively. Miss one, and you’re back to square one. This simple setup instantly raises the stakes and keeps you on your toes.
Building Pressure
This drill is all about recreating the pressure you’d feel during a critical tournament moment. In casual practice, missing a putt might not matter much, but here, every miss forces a restart. It’s a great way to simulate the mental and physical demands of competitive putting.
Sharpening Focus
Repetition at a consistent distance helps refine your technique. You’ll improve your ability to read breaks and perfect your stroke mechanics. Plus, repeating the same pre-shot routine over and over makes it easier to identify and fix any small flaws in your process.
Adjusting for Different Greens
One of the best parts of the Circle Drill is its flexibility. You can tweak the circle’s size to mimic various green conditions. Expanding or shrinking the diameter challenges you to adapt, preparing you for a wide range of putting scenarios.
2. Hurricane Drill
Place five golf balls at varying distances between 4 and 12 feet around the hole, and use them to practice your putting while dealing with distractions. Ask a partner to create disruptions – like starting a casual conversation, clapping, or moving around – to test your ability to stay focused.
This drill is all about sharpening your pre-shot routine and building the mental resilience needed to handle distractions on the course. While the Circle Drill emphasizes consistency, the Hurricane Drill takes it a step further by preparing you to stay composed and focused when unexpected interruptions pop up during your game.
3. Plate Drill
The Plate Drill is all about sharpening your precision and control in high-pressure situations. Here’s how it works: place a dinner plate 6 feet from the hole and arrange five golf balls around the edge of the plate. The goal? Putt each ball so it stops within the plate’s boundaries without overshooting the hole. This exercise pushes you to refine your aim and distance control, simulating the kind of nerve-wracking moments you’ll encounter on the course.
This drill mirrors the challenge of needing to land a putt close to the hole without letting it roll too far beyond the pin. It’s not just about physical technique; it’s also a mental workout, training you to stay composed under pressure while delivering consistent results.
Pressure Simulation
The plate serves as a visual reminder of the stakes, creating a pressure point that feels like real game conditions. Imagine standing over a critical putt with no room for error – your body naturally tightens, just as it would during a tournament or a high-stakes round. This setup forces you to focus on stroke tempo and follow-through, both of which are critical when the pressure is on.
To make it even more challenging, aim to land all five balls within the plate on consecutive attempts. If even one ball misses the mark, start over. This all-or-nothing rule mimics the mental intensity of competition, teaching you to perform consistently when every putt counts.
Fine-Tuning Focus
Unlike simply aiming for the hole, this drill demands that you focus on a specific stopping point. The plate’s boundary sharpens your attention on key elements like backstroke length and acceleration through impact – areas that can falter when nerves creep in.
By practicing from different positions, you’ll also improve how you align your putts and read subtle breaks on the green, all while keeping your stroke steady and controlled.
Adjusting for Green Conditions
One of the best parts of the Plate Drill is how easily it adapts to different green speeds. On faster greens, bring the plate closer to the hole for a tighter margin of error. On slower greens, move it farther away to maintain the difficulty.
You can also modify the drill for sloped greens by placing the plate on various inclines around the hole. Practice uphill putts to develop a firm, confident stroke, then switch to downhill positions to master delicate, touch-sensitive putts. This versatility ensures you’re prepared for whatever the course throws at you.
4. Coin Gate Drill
Set up a coin or a tee about 2 feet ahead of your ball along your target line to create a small "gate." The goal? Roll the ball through this gate, which demands precise aim and sharpens your alignment under pressure. It’s a simple yet effective way to ensure your ball starts exactly where you want it.
Sharpening Focus and Alignment
This drill isn’t just about accuracy – it’s also a great way to improve your alignment and distance control. By focusing on rolling the ball through the gate, you naturally enhance your putter face alignment and build more consistent contact with the ball.
Want to take it up a notch? Turn this exercise into a speed ladder. Place three coins in a line, spaced 9 to 12 inches apart. Now, you’re not just working on direction – you’re also challenging yourself to control the ball’s speed and distance.
Another bonus? This drill helps tackle a common putting mistake: lifting your head too soon. By training yourself to focus on the coin after impact and keep your head steady, you’ll develop a smoother follow-through and avoid the head movement that often creeps in when nerves are high.
Adjusting for Green Conditions
You can easily adapt this drill to different green conditions. On faster greens, tighten the spacing of your gate to demand even greater precision. For slower greens, widen the spacing to match the conditions. Practice on both uphill and downhill putts to simulate the variety of slopes you’ll face on the course.
This flexibility is key for improving your course management skills, as green conditions can vary dramatically during a round. By practicing under diverse slopes and speeds, you’ll gain the confidence and instincts needed to handle any challenge the greens throw your way.
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5. Distance Ladder Drill
The Distance Ladder Drill is designed to simulate high-pressure situations by pushing you to sink consecutive putts from increasing distances – commonly 3, 5, and 8 feet. The catch? Miss a single putt, and you’re sent back to the starting point. This immediate reset mimics the intensity of tournament play. While 3-foot putts might feel straightforward, that 8-footer can suddenly feel like a mountain to climb when you know a miss means starting all over. PGA Tour players only make about half of their putts from eight feet, which shows just how tough this distance can be, even for the best.
"It can be difficult to know how to work on your pressure putting. It’s not easy to replicate the feeling of nerves you might encounter on the course when you’re on the practice green. This putting ladder drill can help." – Lewis Fraser, Performance Editor, bunkered
Pressure Simulation
Want to up the stakes even more? Set a personal rule: don’t leave the green until you’ve completed the entire ladder. This transforms a simple drill into a mental endurance test. You’ll feel the same tension as you would standing over a must-make putt to save par or secure a birdie.
Each miss means starting over, reinforcing the importance of focus and execution. Over time, this builds your ability to stay calm and perform under pressure.
Sharpening Focus and Control
This drill isn’t just about handling pressure – it’s also a great way to refine your touch and focus. With each step up the ladder, you’ll need to adjust your stroke length and tempo to match the distance. The added pressure ensures your mind stays locked in, making every putt a test of both skill and concentration.
The 8-foot putt often becomes the ultimate test. Repeating this drill regularly helps you develop the mental toughness needed to sink these crucial putts when it matters most.
Preparing for Different Green Conditions
Every golf course presents unique challenges, and this drill can help you prepare for them. Start with straight putts on flat ground, then gradually introduce more complex scenarios. Practice the ladder on putts with left-to-right or right-to-left breaks, or incorporate uphill and downhill slopes for an added challenge.
"If you do find this to be straightforward, then work on doing this on putts with break in them. If you can complete the ladder on a difficult left-to-right or right-to-left slope, then you’re doing very well. You want this to be within reason, but adding upslopes and downslopes to this can really make this a difficult test." – Lewis Fraser, Performance Editor, bunkered.co.uk
When working on sloped greens, focus on both uphill and downhill putts. This helps you fine-tune your ability to adjust stroke length and read speed changes. By practicing in varied conditions, you’ll be better prepared to handle whatever challenges the greens throw at you during a round.
6. Left Arm Hold Drill
The Left Arm Hold Drill challenges you to putt using only your dominant hand, removing the support of your non-dominant hand. This forces you to rely on solid fundamentals and mental focus. By practicing this way, you simulate the "off-balance" feeling golfers often experience during high-pressure moments on the course. Think about those nerve-wracking putts to save par – your body tightens, and your rhythm can falter. This drill trains you to maintain control even when the situation feels anything but comfortable.
Pressure Simulation
Putting one-handed creates a mental challenge similar to standing over a critical 4-foot putt. Start with 3-foot straight putts and aim for 10 consecutive makes. Miss one? You start over. The pressure builds quickly, mimicking the tension of a must-make moment during a match or when you’re chasing a personal best.
The beauty of this drill is how it transforms your regular two-handed putting. After 15-20 minutes of one-handed practice, switching back to your usual grip feels almost effortless. That newfound ease can boost your confidence on the greens during actual rounds.
Focus and Precision
Without the assistance of your guiding hand, the drill forces you to pay close attention to alignment and tempo. A square putter face, a steady stroke path, and consistent distance control become non-negotiable. Any flaws in your setup or stroke will stand out because there’s no second hand to mask them.
One unexpected benefit is how this drill sharpens your sense of touch. Without the extra stability, you’ll rely more on rhythm and feel to judge the strength of each putt. This heightened awareness often improves your speed control when you return to two-handed putting.
Pay attention to your follow-through as well. It’s easy to decelerate or guide the ball when putting one-handed, but a smooth follow-through is key. Focus on keeping your stroke consistent – a backswing of the same length should always lead to the same follow-through. This level of control prepares you for varying green conditions.
Tackling Breaking Putts
Once you’ve nailed straight putts with the Left Arm Hold Drill, step up the challenge with breaking putts. Start with gentle slopes to fine-tune your green reading skills, then work up to steeper breaks.
The one-handed constraint forces you to be more precise with your aim and starting line. Without the usual stability, you can’t make last-second adjustments during the stroke. This makes reading greens and committing to your line even more critical.
Practicing on breaking putts also builds decisiveness. As you progress, you’ll learn to trust your reads and avoid the hesitation that can ruin tricky putts. Over time, this confidence will carry over into your regular rounds, helping you stay composed even on the most challenging greens.
7. The Mushroom Drill
The Mushroom Drill is designed to test your putting skills by arranging nine balls in a mushroom-like pattern, challenging you to make putts from various distances and angles. It’s a great way to build mental toughness and handle pressure situations.
Here’s how it works: Place three balls in a straight line, each 5 feet from the hole. Then, scatter six more balls around the hole in a mushroom formation. The goal? Sink all nine putts in a row, ending with the three 5-footers.
Pressure Simulation
This drill is perfect for simulating the kind of pressure you’d face during an actual round. You’ll navigate the scattered putts first, then finish with the three straight 5-footers. The catch? If you miss any putt, you have to start over.
"The final three putts are the easiest but also the most pressure-packed. They simulate the pressure you’ll feel over birdie and par putts and will train you to knock them in." – Luke Kerr-Dineen, Golf Writer
This all-or-nothing approach helps sharpen your focus and prepares you for those high-stakes moments on the course.
Adjusting for Different Greens
Want to make this drill even more effective? Tweak the ball placement or spacing to account for varying green speeds and slopes. This way, you’ll be ready to tackle any course conditions with confidence.
Drill Comparison Table
This table breaks down various drills, highlighting their pressure levels, focus benefits, adaptability, and ideal applications. Use it to find the drills that best align with your practice goals.
| Drill | Pressure Level | Focus Benefit | Adaptability | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circle Drill | High – Involves making consecutive putts from multiple positions | Great for maintaining sustained focus | Adjustable circle size and distances | Improving consistency in short-range putts |
| Hurricane Drill | Moderate – Focuses on maintaining stroke mechanics despite distractions | Helps retain form under pressure | Can incorporate distractions for variation | Golfers aiming to handle external challenges |
| Plate Drill | High – Small target demands increased precision | Excellent for honing pinpoint accuracy | Target size and distance can be adjusted | Perfecting accuracy on firm greens |
| Coin Gate Drill | High – Requires exact alignment and speed control | Ideal for refining stroke precision | Easily modified with different coin spacings | Golfers working on alignment and speed control |
| Distance Ladder Drill | Moderate – Builds tension with progressive difficulty | Boosts confidence in distance control | Simple to customize for various skill levels | Enhancing lag putting and overall distance control |
| Left Arm Hold Drill | High – Physical constraint adds an extra mental challenge | Reinforces putting fundamentals effectively | Limited customization options | Fixing stroke mechanics issues |
| Mushroom Drill | High – Missed putts result in a restart penalty | Simulates intense on-course pressure | Flexible with varying patterns and distances | Advanced golfers preparing for competition |
Key Takeaways for Practice Planning
- High-pressure drills like the Mushroom Drill and Coin Gate Drill are excellent for simulating competitive scenarios. The Mushroom Drill’s restart rule adds an extra layer of intensity, while the Coin Gate Drill sharpens both alignment and speed control.
- For accuracy and focus, the Plate Drill and Coin Gate Drill stand out. These drills challenge you to concentrate on smaller targets, building the precision needed to sink putts into a standard 4.25-inch cup.
- Adaptable drills such as the Circle Drill, Distance Ladder Drill, and Mushroom Drill allow you to tweak distances or patterns, making them suitable for varying practice durations and skill levels.
To maximize your practice sessions, consider pairing a high-pressure drill, like the Mushroom Drill, with a technique-focused one, such as the Plate Drill. This combination helps you develop both the mental toughness and technical accuracy needed for consistent performance under pressure.
Conclusion
Honing your pressure putting skills starts with drills that simulate the intensity of tournament play. Each drill is designed to sharpen specific aspects – like precision, alignment, focus, and distance control – so you’re prepared to sink those must-make putts when it matters most.
The secret to improvement lies in structured, progressive training. Start with drills that match your current skill level, then gradually tackle more challenging exercises as you grow. High-pressure scenarios and technique-driven drills will help fine-tune your abilities.
Keep in mind that quality practice beats quantity every time. Spending just 20 minutes on drills with clear goals will do far more for your game than an hour of aimless putting. Track your progress, celebrate small wins, and stick to a consistent practice routine. These intentional sessions, especially when paired with expert resources, can make a huge difference.
For golfers striving to lower their scores, these drills are just one piece of the puzzle. Resources like the Precision Putting Video Course ($49) and the Essential Golf Improvement eBook Bundle ($19) provide deeper insights and strategies to complement your practice. With dedication and the right tools, you’ll be well on your way.
Breaking 80 starts with mastering the basics of pressure putting. These seven drills are your roadmap to turning your putting game into a reliable strength.
FAQs
What’s the best way to use these drills to consistently improve my putting under pressure?
To maximize the benefits of these pressure putting drills, weave them into your practice by creating scenarios that feel like actual game situations. For example, set clear targets, such as making a certain number of consecutive putts, and introduce small stakes or penalties for misses to replicate the kind of pressure you’d face in competition.
Begin with easier drills to build your foundation, then gradually make them more challenging as your confidence and skills improve. Pay close attention to consistency and developing mental toughness – these are the cornerstones of excelling when the stakes are high. With regular, intentional practice, you’ll strengthen your ability to perform under pressure and take your putting game to the next level.
How can I tell if my pressure putting is improving with these drills?
When you begin sinking more putts from within six feet during intense moments, it’s a clear sign your pressure putting is improving. You’ll also notice you’re less nervous or tense, your stroke becomes smoother and more consistent, and you stay focused and confident even under pressure.
Another sign of progress is sticking to a steady pre-putt routine while keeping a calm mind. Overcoming nerves and maintaining a positive attitude during these moments shows you’re gaining control. Feeling relaxed and composed in these situations is a strong indication that your practice is paying off.
What tools or techniques can I use to further improve my pressure putting skills?
To elevate your pressure putting game, try incorporating tools like alignment mirrors, putting arcs, or tempo trainers. These tools are designed to sharpen your stroke consistency and improve accuracy.
You can also work on drills such as the Gate Drill, which helps with alignment, the Coin Drill, which fine-tunes focus, or the Distance Control Drill, perfect for mastering speed. Adding these tools and exercises to your practice routine can make a noticeable difference when it comes to handling high-pressure putts.
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- 7 Common Putting Mistakes Beginners Make (And How to Fix Them)
- 5 Lag Putting Drills for Better Distance Control
- How to Master Speed Control on the Greens
- 5 Drills To Simulate Pressure On The Green
