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    Putting demands continuous adjustments to length, speed, slope and break over the course of 18 holes. It requires controlling your stroke and sensing the sometimes minute variances in line and pace.

    This terrific practice drill will help you thrive no matter what the greens throw at you:

    drill 90 image 1

    First level

  • Find a cup on a mild incline.
  • Place four balls on the green, each three feet from the cup, one on each side.
  • You should have a straight uphill putt, a straight downhill putt, one left-to-right putt and one right-to-left putt.
  • Putt each ball just as you would during a round, going through your pre-shot routine etc. Count each putt holed as a 1.
  • Once you’ve hit all four, line them up again in the same spots and repeat, then do two more for a total of 10 three-footers.
  • Add up your made putts. From this distance, 9 is a good score (90%).

    • Second level

  • Move to six feet from the cup and repeat the steps from level one.
  • Count your makes – six out of 10 is a good score.

    • Third level

  • Move to nine feet out and repeat.
  • Five made putts from here is excellent.
  • Add your strokes from all three levels. A score of 20 or higher is the mark of a good putter.

    • Remember to take your time with each putt from every distance. The drill may take 10-15 minutes to complete, but you’ll groove a consistent stroke and learn to make minor adjustments on the fly.