Through The Gates

In my many years of teaching, I’ve read, heard, seen and been told a number of putting tips that, I feel, only serve to overcomplicate what should be a simple motion. I think putting is just rolling the ball, so I like to keep things simple. Here, I’m practicing a drill that helps me keep the ball on the right path. All I do is place two golf balls about six inches apart, and a foot in front of my ball, and then make a stroke. I’ll immediately know if my clubface is open or closed because my ball will hit either the ball on the right (open face) or the one on the left (closed face). This drill gives me instant feedback and helps me visualize a path from my ball to the hole. I imagine that path as a “sidewalk” that my ball travels along until it finds the cup.

The next time you’re on the putting green, try putting a few through these “gates,” and I guarantee your putts will drop more than ever before.

You don’t need to make putting any more complicated than it is. Drills should be simple, like this one. Just place two balls six inches apart and putt between them. 

Richard Stanwood teaches golf at Osprey Meadows at Tamarack Resort in Idaho.