Golf is a tricky game. And if you’re like most weekend hackers, you’re spending way too much time working on the the wrong part of your game. While most people trying to improve their handicap think of doing it on the range, the more effective approach is to hit up the putting green. When you can control your wedge shots and putts, you become a better golfer. There’s no way around it. People will argue this point and tell you that it’s not entirely true, but those people are wrong. All you need to improve your game and lower your handicap is to control your wedge shots and sink more putts. And today I’m going to share a drill that’s guaranteed to make you a better putter. In fact, it will teach you how to master putting.
How to Master Putting
How confident are you when you step up to a 3 foot putt? How about a 6 foot putt? 10 feet? Probably not that confident. Why not? Do you know how to read greens? Do you feel confident in your putting stroke? Why not? Because you aren’t practicing it enough. You may be thinking the practice green is boring, or you’d rather spend your valuable time smashing bombs at the driving range. If your goal is to improve your handicap, then get over it. I completely understand the “practicing putting is boring” mindset. I used to feel that way myself. But I realized I just needed to make a game out of it to make it more enjoyable. You can fix all your putting shortcomings with one simple drill. It’s called the 6 foot circle.
The 6 Foot Circle Putting Drill
This is the only drill you need to master the art of putting. And it’s pretty easy to set up. Head on over to the practice green. Measure two standard putter lengths away from the hole. Then stick a tee in the ground. Repeat this process until you have a 6 foot circle of tees around the hole. See the picture below for reference.
Next, you want to divide your circle into quadrants. You can lay down clubs where you see the green lines in this image to separate your quadrants. Take 3 golf balls, and start in quadrant one. Read the putts as if you are on the golf course playing a round of golf. Hit 3 1 foot putts until you sink all three. Then move to 2 feet, always remembering to read the green as though you’re on the course. Hit all 3. If you miss one, go back to 1 foot putts. When you successfully hit all 3 in the hole, move back 1 foot. When you don’t sink all three, move 1 foot closer to the hole. Repeat this process until you sink all three from 6 feet. Then move on to the next quadrant and start over.
By moving to a new quadrant after mastering one quadrant, your understanding for how the ball reacts on different slopes will grow rapidly and you’ll soon find yourself much more confident facing any putt. When selecting the hole to practice on, it’s best practice to find one with a decent amount of undulation and slope around the hole. That way you will see how the ball responds to different conditions and slopes.
Stick With It
When you first start doing the 6 foot circle putting drill, you are going to get frustrated because you may never make it out of the first quadrant. Remember, you’re not allowed to move on to the second quadrant until you have successfully drained all 3 putts from 6′ in the first quadrant. And you have to move up to 6 feet after successfully holing all 3 from 1′, 2′, 3′, 4′, and 5 feet away. So it’s perfectly normal for someone to never make it out of the first quadrant on the first several attempts of this drill. But if you keep coming back to this drill, you’ll start finding yourself making a lot more putts, and moving on to the other quadrants in your circle. This will directly translate to a much higher level of confidence on the golf course.
This confidence will reach far beyond just putting. You’ll find yourself feeling more comfortable with chips, approach shots, and even off the tees. Just take a look at Cameron Smith, one of the greatest putters in the PGA right now. He is so confident with his putter in hand, that he looks completely stress free with all his other shots. And he wins a lot. He knows the putter will make up for any shortcomings or mishits he may have along the way. And it will be a lot easier process for you to learn to putt like Cameron Smith than it will be for you to smash it like Jon Rahm or Xander Schauffle. So take the low hanging fruit and improve your short game.
More Great Golf Drills
If this post was helpful, here’s a couple others you might enjoy:
