Practice putting with purpose by using two easy drills

Nothing is more frustrating when enjoying a round at Black Butte Ranch than missing an easy putt, turning a par into bogey, a bogey into a double bogey or worse.

Yet many golfers do not spend nearly as much time as they should practicing their putting. Or if they do spend time on the practice green, golfers often do not know who to get the most out of their practice session.

Our staff of PGA professionals does have some suggestions on how to get better.

“Practicing your putting is one of the most important things you can do,” says Jeff Fought, Black Butte Ranch’s director of golf. “Who doesn’t want to become a better putter?”

The drills that Fought advises to get better on the greens are simple.

Fought suggests that golfers work on the pace of their putts by setting up several tees on the practice green at varied distances. You want to use the tees as targets, substituting the tees for a hole, and attempt to get each putt as close to the tee as possible. The idea is to work on lag putts, setting up tap-ins rather than those dreaded three putts.

“Putting to the tees and not a hole is very important,” Fought says. “You’re just trying to get it to the tee each time just like you are trying to get it to a spot when you are putting (on the course.”

To work on shorter putts, Fought suggests circling a hole with 10 balls, each set about a club length away from the target. Then a golfer should methodically work his or her way around, hitting each putt. The goal is to make nine out of 10 putts. If you are struggling to get that many in, then move the balls closer to the hole until you can, Fought suggests.

“This drill really helps with the right-to-left putts and the left-to-right putts,” Fought says. “I think the important thing in this drill is to see the ball go in (the hole).”

Steady work on these drills should make anyone a better putter. And improved putting will make an almost instant positive impact on your scorecard.

For more information on how to take a lesson from Jeff or any of our Black Butte Ranch instructors, visit BlackButteRanch.com/golf/lessons-and-instructions. The link also includes a calendar of Black Butte Ranch’s golf schools, clinics and camps.