Putting Distance Control Tips
One of the best golf tips I’ve got for you if you want to improve your putting distance control is practice your distance control more.
Sounds simple, but it’s the truth.
When is the last time you set foot on the putting practice green at your local course and spent 2 hours doing nothing but lag putts and working on distance control?
This was something I disciplined myself to do at least once per week.
I would also mix in lag putts to the end of most practice days before heading home to make sure I got extra reps in at building my distance control.
It works and that’s why we have designed our step by step practice plans to include a lot of focus on distance control and lag putting.
So if you clicked on this article expecting some magical golf tips to cure your 3 putting or help you pace your 6 footers for par better, the truth is, practice your distance control more. That’s how you will get better.
This leads me to the next question you have which is “how do I structure my practice?”
Putting Distance Control Practice Template
For starters, get into habit of thinking of practice as either time or reps. What I mean is you’re either going to achieve so many putting reps before quitting or so many minutes/hours of putting before you’re allowed to quit.
Pick one or the other to base your putting practice off of.
Let’s use time for example first.
Give yourself 2 hours (like we do in our short game program) to focus on putting distance control. Then you can go bang range balls or play 9 holes if time permits after.
Split your 2 hours into groups:
- 30 minutes working on distance control from 3 to 6 feet
- 30 minutes working on distance control from 6 to 12 feet
- 30 minutes working on distance control from 12-25 feet
- 30 minutes working on distance control from 25-60 feet
This will make time go faster, knowing you are switching up drills every 30 minutes. Also mix up the order above. Don’t start close and work your way back in order.
Instead, start working on 25-60 footers first then move to 6-12 footers. Then move back to 12 to 25 footers. Lastly, finish with close 3 foot to 6 foot putts.
For the longer lag putts, treat every putt with importance by setting up a small circle zone around the hole you must get the ball within.
In my putting training program, I call it “within 3 feet” but you can challenge yourself and make a 1 foot circle or 2 foot circle instead of 3 feet to get the ball within from long range.
Putts inside of 25 feet you’re trying to make, but once you get outside of 25 feet, it becomes a game where you’re trying to lag the putt “within 3 feet of the hole” leaving yourself a short putt to save your two putt par”
Other Putting Distance Control Tips
While practicing more is certainly our best tip, we know many of you are not going to be satisfied with just that tip.
So a few other putting distance control tips for you to take back and work on include:
#1: Practice by hitting putts to a coin and trying to stop the ball on top of the coin. Or use a playing card (ace) and stop the ball on top of the playing card.
#2: Close your eyes when hitting long putts and feel the putt as you hit it. Guess if it felt long or short then open your eyes and judge the result compared to your “feeling”
#3: Analyze the green more thoroughly. Where does it slope? How severe is the slope? Where is the green flat or the least steep zone on the green?
#4: Visualize the putt before hitting it and make a few practice strokes feeling out your visualization for the proper speed
#5: Break long putts into 2 or 3 sections and analyze each phase of the putt. Jordan Spieth does this exceptionally well, helping him sink long putts most don’t have a chance of making.
Overall, work on these putting tips and you should see your distance control improve. Your biggest fault is lack of experience and lack of feel which comes from high repetition and lots of hours practicing your distance control.
Make this a staple in your practice schedule. Dedicate time after practice or dedicate an entire day to just distance control if you want to become a great putter. Speed is half the equation, along with line you start the putt on.
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