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Putting warmup?

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checkered

checkered

Team Paradise - 2023 Morgan Cup Champions!
Albatross 2024 Club
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I apologize if there's already a thread on this. I did try to search, but didn't find anything.

Do any of you have any warmups or drills you do to prepare for putting before a round? I've always tried to get to the practice green and roll some towards the fringe from various places to get a feel for the speed. Since I'm struggling with my putting, I'm just curious if others do anything that I could possibly try to see if anything helps. (beyond just the practice I need to put in)
 
I don't usually do this on the putting green before a round, but when I am practicing my putting at home or during a practice session, I'll start by putting 10-20 times with each individual hand. It seems to help my overall speed and accuracy later on.
 
It depends if there is a putting green at the course I am playing. I always try to spend 15 minutes before the round getting used to the pace of the greens but don't always get the chance to do so
 
Putting to the fringe is a useful drill for pace.

I usually only spend 5 mins on the practice green just before I tee off, I find that's plenty. I practice some 20-30 footers, then finish with a few short 3 footers just to get the image of the ball rolling in the hole and hearing it drop. I tend not to practice the 8-10 footers, as I don't want to practice missing putts I think I should make. Close out the negative thoughts and all that!
 
I about always spend a few minutes on the practice green before I play. No long putts for me, just stuff from maybe 3 to 5 to 8 feet. I try to make them all so I'm not looking to hit any long ones.
 
I like to spend a good 5-10 minutes on the putting green. But I mainly work on longer putts. Trying mainly to get the speed of the green. I'm fairly confident with the short putts so don't like to get any negative thoughts in my head by practising them.
 
Thanks for the replies. I gotta figure something out. Hit the range and was feeling a bit better about my putting. Starting to get a more consistent stroke on the ball and feel where I need to be to control the ball's speed more. It's still such a huge struggle though.

oh and just realized I posted this under equipment.....totally didn't realize that last night.
 
If I'm by myself I use the gate drill. Place tees just outside the heel and toe of putter. Place ball in middle and make stroke without contacting the tees.
When I play with my one buddy we have a putting game of horse. The competition during practice gets it all going before the 1st tee shot
 
I spend 10 minutes and do 2 drills.

First drill is for pace:

Set up two tees 10 feet apart with one tee 5 feet halfway between them. So 3 tees in the ground. Take 4 balls and hit the first 3 balls slightly longer than each other keeping them in between the 5-10 ft tee markers. The last ball hit short of the 3rd ball. This will help with pace.

2nd Drill: Line up 4 balls at 4 sides from the cup approx 4 feet from the cup go around the world and try and make all 4 and then head to the tee box.



If you can master your speed and your accuracy from within 5 feet you will be shocked how low your scores can go
 
It depends how crowded the practice green is, but I usually do the gate drill with some tees, three footers from the left, right, top, and bottom of the cup. For long putts, I just place three balls at three different distances from the cup maybe starting at 4-5ft and moving back in 5ft increments once I get comfortable with the "feel" of that distance with my putter.
 
Great question. Personally, I start with 5 footers and move out. I start close just to get my stroke feeling correct and work my way back to get the pace of the greens.

As far as struggling with putting goes, I was struggling for a little while until about a week ago. I couldn't get the speed correct and when I did, I wasn't putting on the line I thought I was. After reading a couple threads on here, I decided to give left hand low a try on the practice green (after a round which I putted terribly). It felt kind of awkward at first, but I was rolling the ball really well and on line as well. The next day, I decided to put it in play and WOW! I made a bunch of medium to long putts. I even made about a 40 footer that was down hill the whole way. I'm sure luck played a part in this great day of putting, and so did confidence in my new grip, but hey it worked well. For the last week, I have been putting better than I have in a long time. I know it is not for everyone, but you should give left hand low a try, it may help you like it helped me.
 
I go to the putting green and place a few tees on the outskirts of the putting green and then proceed to lag at those tees from as far away as I can get on the putting green. I try to make sure I include uphill, downhill, with the grain, and against the green. Then do some 3 foot circles. By this I mean I put 6 balls spaced equally apart in a circle that are all in the 3 ft range from the cup. To finish I try and complete a ladder. 6 balls starting at 3 feet from the hole placing each ball 2-3 feet behind the last ball on the same line.


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I practice 3-5 footers for about 5-10 minutes then 20+ footers for about 5-10 minutes. Don't take my advice, though, because I am an 8 hcp who averages 35 putts per round. :(
 
Fairway2Green said:
I go to the putting green and place a few tees on the outskirts of the putting green and then proceed to lag at those tees from as far away as I can get on the putting green. I try to make sure I include uphill, downhill, with the grain, and against the green. Then do some 3 foot circles. By this I mean I put 6 balls spaced equally apart in a circle that are all in the 3 ft range from the cup. To finish I try and complete a ladder. 6 balls starting at 3 feet from the hole placing each ball 2-3 feet behind the last ball on the same line.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I like that, would you mind if a borrow some of your routine. :D
 
Good stuff. I've been trying to practice the gate drill in my living room all evening hehe.

Jeff Conner said:
Great question. Personally, I start with 5 footers and move out. I start close just to get my stroke feeling correct and work my way back to get the pace of the greens.

As far as struggling with putting goes, I was struggling for a little while until about a week ago. I couldn't get the speed correct and when I did, I wasn't putting on the line I thought I was. After reading a couple threads on here, I decided to give left hand low a try on the practice green (after a round which I putted terribly). It felt kind of awkward at first, but I was rolling the ball really well and on line as well. The next day, I decided to put it in play and WOW! I made a bunch of medium to long putts. I even made about a 40 footer that was down hill the whole way. I'm sure luck played a part in this great day of putting, and so did confidence in my new grip, but hey it worked well. For the last week, I have been putting better than I have in a long time. I know it is not for everyone, but you should give left hand low a try, it may help you like it helped me.
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I'm actually a lefty so my left hand is normally low ;) I've been trying it out right hand low and doesn't feel too bad actually. Going to try it out more tomorrow along with what F2G mentioned. I think if I just practice some every day whether it's in my living room, or at the range it'll start making a difference. Frustrating such a simple motion can be such a pita! hehehe
 
checkered said:
Good stuff. I've been trying to practice the gate drill in my living room all evening hehe.



I'm actually a lefty so my left hand is normally low ;) I've been trying it out right hand low and doesn't feel too bad actually. Going to try it out more tomorrow along with what F2G mentioned. I think if I just practice some every day whether it's in my living room, or at the range it'll start making a difference. Frustrating such a simple motion can be such a pita! hehehe
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Ha ha, exactly. Guess I assumed you were a righty. Give it a shot and let me know what you think. I've only been doing this for about a week, but I have really improved my putting.
 
mac94 said:
I practice 3-5 footers for about 5-10 minutes then 20+ footers for about 5-10 minutes. Don't take my advice, though, because I am an 8 hcp who averages 35 putts per round. :(
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Sounds a lot like me, single digit hadicapper averaging 33 putts a round.
 
Before a round... I'll hit some lags to the fringe working on speed of the greens for the day (that's where you save strokes... getting the speed down, no 3 putts!) then hit some from around the hole from 3-5 feet (getting some confidence to make those par saves or take advantage of a few nice approaches).

If I'm practicing, I'll do a bunch of drills from 3-10 feet... working on the clock drill from 3-6 feet. Hitting a straight putt under string from 5-10. I'll my sticks as alignment aids. The Gate drill is also a favorite.
 
Putting Drill: I do this at home. I got a small wooden dowel (4 inches long about 1 inch wide, a PVC pipe section will work as well) that I practice hitting putts with. If you strike the end of the dowel correctly it will shoot forward a few inches like an Arrow. If you mishit the dowel it will spin forawd like a helicoptor. The best thing about this drill is it works on all kinds of strokes (open and close vs the Straight back straight through) because it only focuses on the moment of impact.

Putting Warmups before the round. I don't usually hit putts to holes. I'm just hitting a bunch of lag putts across the green to get a feel for the speed.
 
This! +1 man...I always feel good on the short stuff, it's leaving longer putts short that means the difference between a 31 putt day or a 35 putt day for me

couldbeu said:
Before a round... I'll hit some lags to the fringe working on speed of the greens for the day (that's where you save strokes... getting the speed down, no 3 putts!) then hit some from around the hole from 3-5 feet (getting some confidence to make those par saves or take advantage of a few nice approaches).

If I'm practicing, I'll do a bunch of drills from 3-10 feet... working on the clock drill from 3-6 feet. Hitting a straight putt under string from 5-10. I'll my sticks as alignment aids. The Gate drill is also a favorite.
Click to expand...
 
I start by rolling 30-50 foot putts. I don't stop until I feel I got the speed of them down. Usually takes a few mins. Then I roll some 3-4-5 footers and end with just lining up my putt with the line on it and roll the putt. I don't aim at a hole or anything, I just want to see the line rolling straight. Then I know I'm stroking it perfectly and only need to worry about finding the right line. That's my short and easy way for getting speed and stroke down before a round.
 
The Thing I hate about my home course' putting green is that there isn't really a flat spot but I do like to do the phil mickelson with 6 balls around the cup and just putt
 
TMSHACKS said:
I spend 10 minutes and do 2 drills.

First drill is for pace:

Set up two tees 10 feet apart with one tee 5 feet halfway between them. So 3 tees in the ground. Take 4 balls and hit the first 3 balls slightly longer than each other keeping them in between the 5-10 ft tee markers. The last ball hit short of the 3rd ball. This will help with pace.

2nd Drill: Line up 4 balls at 4 sides from the cup approx 4 feet from the cup go around the world and try and make all 4 and then head to the tee box.



If you can master your speed and your accuracy from within 5 feet you will be shocked how low your scores can go
Click to expand...


I like this method... Only thing I'd add would be some lag practice for the long putts > 35 ft. I find chipping and putting practice never replicates the true distances you end up with in a round. So trying to lengthen things out on the practice green as much as it will allow seems to help this (I putt to lag to the fringe but some long putts I will aim at a hole with the goal to make not lag close)
 
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