- The pre-round practice drill will take place on the practice putting green before you play. You do not even need a hole to practice on. Place a tee peg near the end of the green but still on the green and aim as if you are hitting towards the opposite side of the green. The task is to start with a small putt away from the tee peg. For the next shot, you need to hit the ball from the tee peg again but this time aim to finish the golf ball just past the last one (about six inches past). For the next shot, you need to hit the ball from the tee peg again but this time aim to finish the golf ball just past the second golf ball (about six inches past). Repeat this process until you fail to go past the final golf ball. Aim to complete 10 golf balls in a row. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with the speed of the greens so that you can judge distance control quickly before you go out and play.
- Complete the challenge the other way round. So start from hitting a putt the length of the green and aim to finish the putt just shorter than the last one. If you fail, you must start again. Aim to get 10 in a row.
Speed control whilst putting is vital when looking at reducing your putting score on the golf course.
Speed control is so important for the simple reason you cannot realistically miss a putt by five to ten feet left or right, however you can easily leave a putt more than 10 feet short or long of the intended target, leaving yourself a very testing putt next time. This can quickly increase your putting score and your overall score. The break of a putt is very dependent on the speed the golf ball is travelling. If the putt is hit firmly, the break will not affect it as much as a putt that has been hit at dead weight. So when judging the break you need to ask yourself 'What speed do I desire to hit the putt at?' This will help when judging how much a certain putt breaks.
Fault – A player will focus more on the line of the putt instead of working out the speed and judgment of the putt they face. This can easily lead to leaving a long second putt and quite possibly a missed second putt resulting in higher scores.
Fix – By introducing the following technique to your putting game, you will suddenly be able to judge the distance of putts much better.
Pre-round preparation – Can you afford to spend just five minutes before you play to make sure you can accurately measure the speed of the greens?
Key tip – A great way to judge the speed when out on the golf course is to aim to look at the hole when you take your practice swing before the putt.
