Short Game · 7 min read
5 Putting Drills That Actually Lower Your Score
By FairwayFormula
April 16, 2026
Keywords: putting drills, golf putting practice, lower golf score
Putting is the most efficient place to lower your score — and the most neglected. Most amateur golfers hit three large buckets of balls for every minute they spend on the practice green. The result: a mediocre ball-striker who three-putts frequently. Fix the putting, and 4–6 strokes per round disappear almost immediately.
The Math That Should Change Your Practice Routine
According to Mark Broadie's strokes-gained research — the same framework used on the PGA Tour — putting accounts for roughly 40–43% of total strokes for most amateur golfers. Yet golfers typically spend less than 15% of their practice time on the putting green.
That imbalance is a gift. It means the area of your game with the highest potential for improvement is also the most accessible — you can practice putting in your living room, hotel room, or office. No range, no tee time, no equipment beyond a putter and a ball.
40%
of amateur golfer strokes happen on the putting green — the highest-leverage area to practice for immediate score improvement.
The 5 Drills
These five drills address the three mechanical skills that actually determine putting performance: face alignment at impact, distance control (speed), and consistency under pressure. Each drill isolates one of these, gives you immediate feedback, and scales with your skill level.
Drill 01
The Gate Drill — Face Alignment
Place two tees (or two alignment sticks) about an inch wider than your putter head, 4 inches in front of the ball. Your goal: stroke the putt without hitting either tee. This forces you to square the face consistently, because even a 2-degree open or closed face will clip a tee at that distance.
Why it works: Most missed putts inside 8 feet are face-related, not read-related. The gate removes subjectivity — you either hit the tees or you don't. Do 20 putts from 5 feet before every round. Golfers who do this regularly report dramatically higher confidence on short putts within 2–3 weeks.
Distance: 3–6 feet
Reps: 20 per session
Equipment: 2 tees or alignment sticks
Drill 02
The Ladder Drill — Distance Control
Place balls at 10, 20, 30, and 40 feet from a hole. Putt each one, trying to finish within 3 feet of the hole. Don't worry about making them — the goal is distance control. After each ball, note whether you were short, long, or in the zone.
Why it works: Three-putts are almost always distance control failures, not direction failures. A putt from 40 feet that finishes 1 foot past the hole is nearly unscoreable. The same putt that finishes 8 feet short means a difficult second putt. The ladder drill forces you to calibrate speed across different distances, which transfers directly to fewer three-putts on the course.
Distance: 10, 20, 30, 40 ft
Reps: 3 rounds of the ladder
Goal: All balls within 3 feet
Drill 03
The Circle of Death — Pressure Putting
Place 8 balls in a circle around a hole at 4 feet. You must make all 8 consecutively. If you miss, start over from 0. Once you complete the full circle, move to 5 feet and repeat.
Why it works: Most practice is consequence-free — you just roll another ball. This drill introduces stakes without requiring a betting partner. The miss-and-restart rule simulates the psychological pressure of a must-make putt, which is the environment putts actually live in on a course. Dave Pelz built a version of this into his short-game curriculum precisely because it trains performance under pressure, not just technique in a vacuum.
Distance: 4–6 feet
Target: 8 consecutive makes
Intensity: High — restart on miss
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Drill 04
The Clock Drill — All-Angles Alignment
Place 12 balls around a hole at 3 feet — like a clock face, one ball at each "hour." Make all 12 consecutively. Each ball has a different break angle and a different visual feel. This ensures you practice from all angles, not just the straight-back-straight-through line most golfers default to on the practice green.
Why it works: On a real course, short putts come from every direction. Most golfers only practice putts from the same angle every session, which means they build confidence for one angle and struggle on others. The clock drill eliminates that blind spot in about 2–3 weeks of consistent practice.
Distance: 3 feet
Target: 12 consecutive makes
Equipment: 12 balls
Drill 05
The Two-Putt Challenge — Game Simulation
Putt from 25, 30, 35, and 40 feet. After each putt, finish it out (make the second putt). Score yourself: 1 point for two-putt, 2 points for one-putt, 0 points for three-putt. Play 18 "holes" and track your score. Compete against your previous scores over time.
Why it works: This drill connects practice to scorekeeping, which is what makes it stick. You're not just rolling balls — you're playing. The scoring system reveals patterns: Are you three-putting from a specific distance? Do you get nervous on the second putt after a long lag? This data guides where to focus your future practice sessions.
Distance: 25–40 feet
Format: 18-hole scoring game
Track: Score over time
How to Add These Drills to Your Practice Routine
Don't try to run all 5 in one session — you'll hit diminishing returns after about 20 minutes of focused putting practice. Here's how to spread them across your week:
- Before every round: Gate Drill (10 minutes) — gets your face square and builds confidence immediately.
- Dedicated practice session: Ladder Drill + Circle of Death (20 minutes) — covers distance control and pressure.
- Weekly benchmark session: Two-Putt Challenge (15 minutes) — tracks improvement over time so you know if the practice is working.
- Add Clock Drill when you want to improve short-putt make rate from all angles.
What a Realistic Improvement Timeline Looks Like
Consistent putting practice — even 15 minutes per session, 3 times per week — produces measurable results within 3–4 weeks for most golfers. Specifically, you should see:
- Three-putt rate drops by 30–50% (this alone is 2–3 strokes per round for most amateurs)
- Make rate on 4–6 foot putts climbs noticeably, especially from the left side of the hole where most golfers struggle
- More confidence over short putts — you stop second-guessing and commit earlier
The FairwayFormula Practice System includes dedicated drill cards for all 5 drills above — with visual diagrams, rep counts, and progress benchmarks. Week 1 is free if you want to start today.
One More Thing: Tempo
Every amateur who struggles with putting eventually gets the same feedback: your backstroke is too short and your forward stroke is too fast. This creates deceleration at impact, which is the single most common cause of pushed putts. The fix is simple: consciously make your backstroke 20% longer and your forward stroke the same speed. It will feel wrong for about two sessions, then it'll feel normal — and your face will be squarer at impact almost automatically.
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