Game Improvement Techniques

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second lesson in the Game Improvement Techniques series of drills you can do during the off-season to keep your short game sharp. If you missed last weeks lesson you can catch up by clicking here.

The Ladder Drill is a great drill to improve your distance control on long putts. It builds feel with the putter and teaches you to control your distance. This makes it easier for you to lag it close to the hole and make more two putts. Distance control is the main reason for three putting and being able to cut the three putts out of your round will dramatically lower your scores. This drill can be done anywhere and will keep your touch sharp year round.

This drill can be done indoors or outside on a putting green. It is a great drill to practice in a hallway or anywhere you have the space to putt from 20 feet. This can be done from any length that you choose shorter or longer than 20 feet. You will start by putting to a door or object trying to get the first ball to stop just before your target. Now for the next ball, you want to try and lag it just short of the previous putt. The goal is to see how many balls you can putt in a row, with each one stopping just shorter than the last. The balls will end up in a row and will get closer and closer to you, forcing you to adjust your distance on each stroke. If you hit one past the previous putt, you start the drill over again. You should get to where you can get the balls very close to each other all in a row till the “ladder” reaches you.