In 1981, when my Florida Southern team arrived at Hop Meadow in Simsbury, Conn. — just outside Hartford — we were greeted by a long, tight golf course with deep rough and fast, heavily undulated greens. At our team dinner after the first practice round, one of my teammates turned to me and said, “Well, TP, it looks like it’s not gonna be your week.”
I knew he was having a go at me, so I asked, “Yeah? Why’s that?”
He replied, “It’s much too long for you, and the rough is tough.”
Understand this: I have never been blessed with the gift of speed. Distance was never in my favor. All of my teammates were long and strong. I wasn’t.
But I explained — very matter-of-factly — that those exact reasons were why I believed I’d play well that week. First, the course was tight, and I drove it straighter than the average bear. Second, I could chip, pitch and play bunker shots at a high level. And more than anything else, I could putt my rock like nobody’s business.
I simply told my teammate I hoped he could keep up. They all laughed. But I’m sure most of them thought he was right and that I was fantasizing.
By week’s end, we had won the 1981 NCAA Division II National Team Championship by a whopping 35 strokes. My teammates all played well. And “Mr. Short Ball” — yours truly — captured the individual national championship with an extraordinary putting week.
Just as predicted.
To this day, I make time, usually early, before my day begins, to putt for at least 30 minutes. Remember: putting is first and foremost about feel. And without reps, that most essential skill simply cannot be developed.
Below, you’ll find a few of my favorite putting drills, ones I’ve learned and used for myself and my students over the past 36 years. At age 60, I continue to putt most days at a fairly high standard.
The Lag Drill
I place four tees on the green to form a 4-foot-by-4-foot square. Then I take 10 normal strides away — approximately 30 feet — and place another tee in the ground.
From there, I putt in three-ball increments toward the square. The goal is to get 18 balls in a row (18 holes) to finish inside the square. If even one misses, you go back to zero and start again.
Keep this in mind: If the hole were in the center of that square, the longest second putt you’d face is about two feet. If you can keep it inside that square on a consistent basis, you will dramatically decrease your three-putts.
The Gate Drill
While the Lag Drill develops speed control, the Gate Drill is all about starting the ball on line. For a ball to start on line, the face-to-path relationship at impact must be pristine.
Set two tees just slightly wider than a putter head. Place the ball centered between them and rehearse solid, center-face contact. Once that becomes consistent, build a second gate — slightly wider — halfway between your first gate and a hole five feet away.
Now the challenge: get nine balls in a row (nine holes) through the second gate. Miss one, and you start over. It’s amazing how quickly the eyes learn to aim the putter face when given clear feedback. Once you get consistent with this drill, you’ll be able to hit your start lines on the course with ease.
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