A few days ago, I put out the question for those following Path2Par on social media, “What is the weirdest thing you have used to practice your golf swing?” The results were not only hilarious but also revealing. It highlighted that golfers would practice their swing and technique as often as possible, even when not at a golf course or driving range. With winter weather moving into most of the country and daylight savings time eating up most of the twilight golfers out there, I thought I would put together a Winter Practice Series focusing on drills that anyone could do from the comfort of your home.
In the first segment, we will cover three different putting drills designed to help you build out your overall technique and consistency with your putter. You will need your putter, four golf balls, and a few books or magazines from around your house.
Four-Ball Putting Ladder – Pace Practice
Embed from Getty ImagesWith this drill, your main focus is working on your pace with your putter. Focus on the feel and outcome of the swing more than any of the other mechanics. Line four golf balls up in a row in a room that has carpet, and pick a spot about three feet in front of you as your target. Hit the first ball with the intent of landing directly on the location that you have picked when starting. From here, you are looking to hone your ability of pace control.
Most drills would ask you to repeat this putt repeatedly, but this drill wants to master the feel of different paces with your putter. Left and right is not the name of the game, so do not put a ton of energy into being on the same line. However, your objective with the next ball is to have it stop within twelve inches on the other side of the ball you just hit. How close can you get the one-foot mark past your first ball? Can you make sure you are not leaving any golf balls short?
With the remaining golf balls that you have, repeat this drill, trying to land each ball past the previous but no longer than one foot. Keep the putter very loosely gripped, so you feel the contact of the ball and swing of the club in your hands. Repeat the drill as often as you can to help with your pace control.
Ball To Ball – Precision Putting Practice
Embed from Getty ImagesUnlike the first drill, this one focuses on your ball’s path more than its pace. Now don’t get me wrong, you must be able to control the speed with this drill, but strict attention is on the line.
Set up two golf balls side by side anywhere in your home with carpet. Select a spot somewhere in the room at any distance and focus on landing your first ball in this spot. While this is just the setup for the drill, take it just as seriously as you would a putt on the course. Once your ball has come to rest, the exercise begins.
Having seen the ball rolling, you will know if the floor or carpet isn’t exactly level and any break in the putting surface. Armed with this information, step up to your next ball. When striking your next putt, the objective is to hit the ball you just rolled out in front of you square on. The ball sitting in place will move away in the same direction as the ball making contact. Contact like this requires a direct line at impact and the correct speed needed to move the ball.
Putting Between Tees At Home Edition- Swing Path Patrice
Embed from Getty ImagesPutting between tees must be altered because you will likely not be able to stand up tees on your carpet at home. Do not worry; there is an easy fix for this, and it is as simple as heading over to your bookshelf or magazine pile.
Grab two books or magazines and lay them down parallel to one another on the carpet with enough room for your putter to barely fit between them. Place your golf ball in between them, slightly off-center towards the back of the books. To make sure you have it set up correctly, you should have more of the putter’s swing path guarded by the books after you contact the ball. The goal is to help keep your follow-through more on target and drive home that feeling of a square clubface.
Again just as the other drills above, focus on the feeling throughout the swing and contact.
Concluding Thoughts
For whatever reason that you cannot make it to a course to practice or play, these drills will allow you to work on the most important and often overlooked part of the game. Do not discount the practice you can do in your own home and take it just as seriously as you would a shot mid-round at your favorite course. If you keep that putter in your hand as often as possible, you not only become confident with your swing, but you start dropping your score overall.
