How to get better at putting
How do I get better at putting?
Work on speed first. For most golfers, three-putts start with a first putt that finishes too far from the hole, not with a missed short one, so distance control on 20 to 50 foot putts saves the most strokes. Practice it with feedback: you need to know how far each putt would have rolled, not just whether it dropped. Then groove your start line on short putts, and add a little pressure to your practice. Ten focused minutes most days beats an hour once a week.
Why speed matters more than line
From long range, almost nobody holes it. Even tour players make only a small share of their putts from 30 feet and beyond, and on average they take two putts from about 33 feet, according to Columbia professor Mark Broadie's analysis of PGA Tour data (Assessing Golfer Performance on the PGA Tour). Tour players make only about half of their 8-footers.
So the job on a long putt is not to hole it. It is to leave a second putt short enough that you rarely miss it. Line matters too, but on a 40-footer a putt that starts a little off line still finishes close if the pace is right, while a putt that starts perfectly but rolls 8 feet by leaves you a coin flip.
Why practicing at home is hard
- Rooms are short. A hallway or a putting mat gives you 8 to 15 feet. The putts that cost you strokes are 25 to 50 feet.
- Mats are often faster than the greens you play. Many putting mats run quicker than a typical public course, so the feel you build can be wrong for Saturday.
- Nothing tells you how hard you hit it. On a mat the ball hits the wall or the return, and you never learn whether that was a 20-foot stroke or a 35-foot one.
That is why so much indoor practice ends up being short putts into a cup. It is useful for your stroke, but it does not train the skill that prevents three-putts.
Five drills that build distance control
1. The ladder
Pick a starting distance and hit each putt a little farther than the last without going past a limit. The run ends when one comes up short or goes long. It teaches small, controlled changes in pace, which is what feel actually is.
2. The three-foot circle
From 30, 40 and 50 feet, try to finish every putt inside a three-foot circle around the hole. Count how many of ten you get. That number is your lag putting score, and it is worth tracking week to week.
3. Random distances
Never hit the same length twice in a row. On the course every putt is a new distance, so practice that way. Change targets after every ball.
4. Start line through a gate
For short putts, set two tees just wider than the ball, a foot in front of it, and roll putts through them. If the ball starts on line from 6 feet, the hole does the rest.
5. Practice with something on the line
Play a game against a friend, or against your own best score. A putt that counts feels different, and learning to make that stroke is part of the skill.
How do I know I am improving?
Track two numbers, not your feelings about it:
- Average leave from 30 to 50 feet: how far your first putt finishes from the hole.
- Three-putts per round, counted honestly on the course.
If your average leave shrinks over a few weeks, your three-putts will follow.
Where a training aid fits, and when you do not need one
If you have a long, true practice green near home and time to use it, you may not need a gadget at all: the five drills above work there, and real greens give real feedback.
If most of your practice happens indoors, the missing piece is measurement. LagKing is a gate you putt through on carpet, a mat or a putting green. It measures the speed of every putt and shows, in a free phone app, how far it would have rolled on a real green, so you can practice 20 to 60 foot putts in a small room. The app runs the drills above (Ladder, Distance Challenge, random targets, Start Line) and games against friends. For a broader look at the options, see the best putting trainer for what you want to fix.
Common questions
How long should I practice putting each day?
Ten to fifteen focused minutes most days is enough to improve, and it is easier to keep up than one long session a week. Spend most of it on distance control and finish with a few short putts for start line.
Should I practice short putts or long putts?
Both, but most golfers spend too much time on short putts. Long putts decide how many short ones you face, so give lag putting the bigger share of your practice.
Can I get better at putting at home without a green?
Yes. You can work on start line and stroke on any flat surface. Distance control is harder indoors because rooms are short and mats rarely match real greens, which is the problem measured feedback solves.
What causes three-putts?
Usually a first putt that finishes too far from the hole, most often from poor speed rather than poor aim. Improving your distance control on putts of 20 feet and longer is the fastest way to cut them.