Lowering your score one Putt at a time

The fastest way to lower your golf score isn’t by hitting the ball farther, it’s by getting the ball into the hole in fewer rolls. If you find yourself taking three shots or more once you're on the green, these three drills will help you gain control.

1. The Gate Drill

This drill helps you hit the ball straight every time. Find a flat spot about four feet from the hole. Push two tees into the ground just wide enough for your putter head to pass through. Then, place two more tees a foot in front of those, just wide enough for the ball to roll through (making a "gate"). If you can roll the ball through the gate without hitting a tee, you know you’re hitting the ball exactly where you’re aiming.

2. The 3-Foot Circle

Short putts should be your bread and butter. Place three balls around the hole, each about three feet away (roughly the length of your putter). Go around the circle and try to sink all three. Keep track of how many you make out of 18 tries. Your goal is to get to the point where these short putts feel like "gimmes" because you’ve practiced the motion so many times.

3. The Ladder Drill

Most people struggle with how hard to hit long putts. To fix this, place four markers (like tees or coins) in a straight line at 10, 20, 30, and 40 feet away from you. Practice hitting one ball to each marker. Don’t worry about the ball going in a hole; just focus on getting the ball to stop as close to the marker as possible. This teaches your brain the feel for distance so you don't leave your long putts way short or roll them too far past.

The Goal: No More Three-Putts

Try playing a mini-game of 9 holes on the practice green. If you take two rolls to get the ball in, that’s a par. If you sink it in one, that's a birdie. If you take three or more, that's where you need more work.

Once you stop taking three shots to finish a hole, you'll be amazed at how much faster your total score drops!