To become a better putter, you have to get used to focusing on smaller targets. Unlike hitting full-swing shots, where your target may be a certain part of the fairway, the green or sometimes a part of the green, putting requires you to be far more precise. A great drill that I like to use for dialing it in is to take five golf balls and put each of them on tees in a line (as you can see in the above photo). Space them near each other so they're about a finger-width apart. Next, comes the tricky part. I want you to roll a putt from about five feet and try and hit each tee, one at a time, and knock off one ball at a time, in any order you want.
This drill will do two things. First, it will help you focus on a target much smaller than the hole. Second, it will teach you to putt a little more aggressively since you need to make solid contact with each tee to knock the balls off. If you happen to hit the wrong tee, or knock more than one ball off, you need to start over and do it all again until all five balls are knocked off, one at a time, in any order you choose.
Try this drill and not only will you become a more precise putter, the discipline this drill requires will help you focus better, as well.
Dale Abraham, PGA, is the director of instruction at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, visit desertmountain.com.
