Putting accounts for a large share of the strokes in a typical round — often well over a third. Yet most golfers spend almost all of their practice time on the range. If you regularly three-putt, the drills in this guide will save you more strokes than any new driver.
Start with one fundamental truth: three-putts are caused by poor speed far more often than poor line. A putt struck at the right speed rarely finishes far from the hole, even with a misread. A putt struck at the wrong speed can finish eight feet away even when perfectly on line. Fix your speed first, then sharpen your start line and short-range reliability, and three-putts will become rare.
This guide gives you twelve drills, grouped by skill, plus practice plans and a simple way to track your progress. If you need to build your stroke from the ground up first, start with our guide to putting fundamentals.
Why golfers three-putt
Before the drills, understand the causes:
| Cause | What happens | Drills that help |
|---|---|---|
| Poor speed on long putts | First putt finishes 6–10 feet away | Ladder, fringe, eyes-on-the-hole |
| Poor start line | Ball misses on the low or high side | Gate, coin, chalk line |
| Shaky short putting | Two-footers and four-footers missed | Circle, clock, 50-in-a-row |
| Misreading slopes | Ball breaks more or less than expected | Read-and-walk, one-ball drill |
| No pressure practice | Good on the practice green, poor on the course | Par 18, up-and-down games |
Speed control drills
1. The ladder drill
- Place tees at 20, 30 and 40 feet from a fringe or edge of the green.
- Putt one ball to each tee, trying to stop it within a club length past the target.
- Then reverse the order — 40, 30, 20.
Changing distance with every putt mimics the course, where you never hit the same putt twice. To make it harder, use one ball and putt to each distance in a random order.
2. The fringe drill
Putt balls from 20, 30 and 40 feet towards the edge of the green, trying to stop each one as close to the fringe as possible without touching it.
Because there is no hole, you focus entirely on speed. Most golfers are surprised how much their distance control improves once the hole is removed.
3. Eyes-on-the-hole lag putting
From 30 feet, set up normally, then turn your head to look at the hole and make your stroke without looking back at the ball.
It feels strange at first, but most golfers quickly discover that their distance control improves. Your eyes and brain are excellent at judging distance when you let them.
4. The three-zone drill
Lay a club on the green 18 inches behind the hole. Putt from 30–40 feet. Score:
- 2 points if the ball finishes between the hole and the club.
- 1 point if it finishes short of the hole but within three feet.
- 0 points if it finishes beyond the club or more than three feet short.
Hit ten putts and record your score. The drill teaches you to finish putts just past the hole — the speed that gives the ball the best chance of dropping.
Start-line drills
5. The gate drill
Push two tees into the green just wider than your putter head, about six inches in front of the ball, on your intended line. Make strokes through the gate without touching the tees.
It gives instant feedback on whether the face is square at impact — the single biggest factor in where the ball starts.
6. The coin drill
Place a small coin about a foot in front of your ball on a straight putt. Roll the ball over the coin. Once you can do it consistently, move the coin further away.
7. The chalk line or string drill
On a straight putt of six to eight feet, use a chalk line or a string between two pencils to mark the line to the hole. Watch your putter face and the ball's starting direction against the line. It is excellent for spotting aim errors — many golfers discover they aim left or right without realising.
Short-putt drills
8. The three-foot circle
Place eight balls in a circle around a hole, each about three feet away. Hole all eight in a row. If you miss, start again.
This drill builds the confidence to be aggressive on longer putts — if you know you will make the comeback putt, you stop leaving putts short.
9. The clock drill
Place balls at three, four and five feet around the hole at the positions of a clock face — 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. Work around the clock, holing every putt at three feet before moving to four feet, then five.
10. Fifty in a row
From two to three feet, try to hole 50 putts in a row. It sounds easy, but the pressure builds as the count rises — exactly like a short putt to win a match. It also trains a repeatable, unhurried stroke.
Green-reading drill
11. Read, predict and walk
Before each practice putt from 15–25 feet:
- Read the putt from behind the ball and from the low side.
- Predict the break by placing a tee where you think the ball should cross the edge of the hole.
- Putt and watch where the ball actually breaks.
- Walk the putt after it finishes, feeling the slope through your feet.
Over time, you will learn whether you consistently over-read or under-read break. Most amateurs under-read break and miss on the low side.
Pressure drill
12. Par 18 challenge
Pick nine holes on the practice green, each from a different distance between 10 and 40 feet. Play each "hole" with one ball, holing out every putt. Two putts per hole is par, for a total of 18.
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 16 or less | Excellent — you are holing your fair share |
| 17–19 | Solid; speed control is working |
| 20–22 | Work on the ladder drill |
| 23+ | Spend more time on lag putting and the three-foot circle |
Record your score each time. It is a simple way to track progress and bring a little pressure to practice.
Putting practice plans
The 15-minute pre-round routine
Before every round:
- Five minutes of ladder lag putts to learn the green speed.
- Five minutes on the three-foot circle to see the ball go in.
- Five minutes on long putts across slopes to read the day's greens.
Finish with a holed short putt and head to the first tee.
The 30-minute practice session
| Time | Drill |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Gate drill (start line) |
| 10 minutes | Ladder and three-zone drills (speed) |
| 5 minutes | Clock drill (short putts) |
| 10 minutes | Par 18 challenge (pressure) |
Do this once or twice a week and you will see a difference within a month.
Practising at home
A carpet or putting mat is perfect for start-line and short-putt drills. Use the gate and coin drills, putt to a glass or a coaster, and practise holing two- and three-footers. Home carpets are rarely the same speed as greens, so keep speed practice for the course.
Track your putting statistics
To see real improvement, track:
- Total putts per round.
- Three-putts per round — the most important number for most golfers.
- First-putt distance on each green (estimate).
- Putts holed from inside six feet.
A target for many club golfers is no more than one or two three-putts per round. For more on statistics, see how to lower your golf handicap.
On the course: lag putting strategy
The drills build skill; strategy turns it into lower scores.
- On putts over 30 feet, your goal is a tap-in. Picture a three-foot circle around the hole and aim to finish inside it.
- Uphill putts can be struck more firmly with confidence.
- Downhill and fast putts need a gentler stroke — imagine the hole is a few feet closer.
- Walk halfway on long putts to judge slope and distance from the side.
- Commit to your read. Indecision produces tentative strokes and poor speed.
Common putting mistakes
- Decelerating through the ball, usually from fear of hitting it too hard.
- Looking up too early to watch the ball.
- Too much wrist action, leading to inconsistent strike.
- Ignoring grain and slope on long putts.
- Rushing short putts after a poor first putt.
Adapting to different greens
Green speed and firmness vary from course to course and season to season, so your speed control needs to adapt:
- Fast, firm greens — common on links and in summer — need a gentler stroke and more respect for downhill putts.
- Slow, soft greens — common in winter and on wet days — need a firmer stroke and break less.
- Greens with grain can make putts faster down-grain and slower into the grain.
- Freshly cut or rolled greens are usually quicker than the practice green suggests early in the day.
Always spend a few minutes on the practice green before you play, and adjust again if the course greens feel noticeably different. For more on how course types affect putting, read links vs parkland courses.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I practise putting?
Little and often beats occasional long sessions. Ten to fifteen minutes, three times a week, plus a short pre-round routine, will produce noticeable improvement.
What is the best drill for lag putting?
The ladder drill and the fringe drill are excellent for speed. Eyes-on-the-hole putting also helps many golfers judge distance more naturally.
How many putts per round is good?
It depends on your ability and how many greens you hit. Many club golfers average 32–36 putts. Rather than chasing a total, focus on reducing three-putts.
Should my putts finish past the hole?
Generally, yes. A putt that finishes slightly past the hole — around 12 to 18 inches — had a chance to drop. Putts left short never go in.
Can putting drills help my handicap?
Absolutely. Cutting three-putts from four per round to one saves three strokes a round — more than most golfers gain from new equipment. Pair your putting with the strategy in how to break 100 or our golf tips to play better.
The bottom line
Three-putts are rarely bad luck. They come from poor speed on the first putt and shaky holing-out from short range. Train speed with ladder, fringe and three-zone drills; train start line with the gate and coin drills; build confidence with the circle and clock drills; and put yourself under pressure with Par 18. Spend fifteen minutes on the putting green before every round, track your three-putts, and they will become a rare annoyance rather than a regular part of your scorecard.
Adjusting to a new course? Read putting on fast and slow greens.
More putting help: uphill and downhill putts, putting on tiered greens and pressure putts.