There is a very simple exercise you can do that will give you immediate feedback as to how your putter head is returning back to the ball. Here’s what you should do.
First place a ball about 3 feet from a hole and then position the putter head behind the ball as though you were going to hit the putt in the hole. Before you putt, place a tee on either side of your putter head and set a goal of hitting 20 balls between this ‘gate’. If you hit the tees then start again.
If you can hit 20 putts consecutively without hitting the tees then you are returning the putter squarely back into the ball. BUT if you can’t do this you simply need to keep putting until you reach your goal and if a goal of 20 is too hard then make your first goal 5 consecutive putts.
Whatever your first goal is, or subsequent goals for that matter, make sure you leave the practice putting green having achieved it/them. Never leave the practice putting green without achieving your goal, NEVER!
This is a great putting drill to do anytime and it teaches you to bring the putter head back square at impact, and this is obviously crucial to consistent putting. So keep practicing and always look to improve, i.e. raise your goals so that you raise your standards and as a result you’ll improve.
One last point. This is also a great drill to do at home, anytime you have spare because it gives you instant feedback about your stroke and that will make your practice time so much more worthwhile and beneficial. So get out your putter and do this drill NOW! 
Tags: putter
November 11th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Great drill thank you Nick. I will try it NOW! ha ha
November 11th, 2008 at 7:58 am
I often miss putts left and right for no apparent reason. Hoping this drill will correct that issue for me. I will give it a try and let you know. Thanks again Nick for the help.
My best,
John G
November 11th, 2008 at 8:26 am
My putting has been very poor of late so will try this drill the next chance I get. I must say Nick, I love your website! It is the best I have come across in my travels on the net. Thank you for sharing your obvious wealth of information with us amateur golfers.
Blessings from Kate in San Diego
November 11th, 2008 at 9:14 am
What a great little tip – It always seems to me putting is one thing in the game of golf we should be able to do as well as the pros!! You’ve gone a long way to helping us Nick – A simple but profound bit of instruction for us to work on – Thanks.
November 11th, 2008 at 10:22 am
If the tees are practically touching the putter head then the drill becomes literally impossible while too far away renders it too easy.
How much latitude do you suggest?
November 11th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
The putting action like all golf shots requires the trajectory to be part of a circle, achieved by pendulam motion in this case.
Any departure from a circular trajectory leads to a Coriolis Force which is perpendicular to out of circle motion and is largely responsible for erratic golf shots.
The drill suggested is excellent and definitely gives a good feedback.
November 11th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Sam H has the right question when he asks “what latitude” do you allow for the distance between the tees and the putter.
As far as chandragk’s comment is concerned I looked it up:In physics, the Coriolis effect is an apparent deflection of moving objects when they are viewed from a rotating frame of reference. How that applies to what he said (pendulum motion and cirular motion) is beyond me.
Research the internet and find out how many ways there are to putt and then tell me that this is the answer.
By the way add judging distance, speed and break in the green to putting and now you have other problems. Like someone once said
when we were playing golf, putting is luck. Why luck, because if you just happen to put all the formula together (speed, distance, swing, break) perfectly fi there is that one part of the green that may have a small flaw in it and you hit it it could throw the ball off.
November 11th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
My putting lately has been inconsistent so thanks for the practice drill.Your web site drills and tips are easily understood.Keep them coming.
November 11th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Lateky my putting has been inconsistentwhich turns a par into a bogey and even worse a double bogey. I will try thr drill and advise of the out come. Thanks for the tips and advice Your site is a wealth of information .Keep them coming..
November 11th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I agree with Charliemack. A good putting stroke is no guarantee that you will sink putts. You have to have the right speed, distance and break. I play with an individual who has a very unorthodox stroke but it works for him. Putting, like the rest of the game, is all between the ears. Get to the ball, take a look and then putt it. The more you analyze it the worse it usually is.
November 11th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Roy: You are absolutely correct in you reply. The more you analyze
(called putting geography” into the analyze the worse it gets.
Go to the ball, look at the putt, then putt it. Simple.
November 11th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Still loooking for that “toleance” question to be answered. How close do you put the tees to the putter head?
November 12th, 2008 at 12:15 am
You will need to experiment with the correct distances for you. As a guide you should initially be able to get through the gate 80% of the time. Once you can do that then narrow the gap.
Thanks.
-Nick
November 12th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Nick, I think you didn’t clearly answer Sam H’s and Phil Henderson’s question. Gentlemen, initially try 1/4 inch outside the toe and heal of the putter head. That should give you an initial “gate” to work with. Then, with Nick’s recommendation of 80%, move the tees to 1/8 inch. I hope that helps.
If you attend a PGA or LPGA tournament, you might see some of the pros using all sorts of gadgets to help them with their putting. The tip provided here is an old one but certainly one of the most inexpensive ones available.
Roy makes a good point. Find a putting procedure that works for you and stick to it. May be another way of saying what Roy and John Sutphen stated above is paralysis by analysis. The more you think about the proper execution, line, speed, etc. you’ll have a higher predisposition to “freeze” yourself and everything after that is moot.
November 13th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Kia ora Nick,
This drill sounds good in theory, however, getting the putter head to travel between the two tees (gate) does not ensure the putter face is square.
The path the ball travels may indicate this.
If you draw a line on the ball, face the line to the hole and the line rolls truly then the putter face was probably square at impact. The “gate” will certainly help the path.
Ross
November 14th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
I greatly improved my putting when I discovered I’d gotten lazy in how I held the putter. By making sure the putter was along the lifeline in my left hand, along with firm wrists, my putting, especially from within 6′, has improved markedly.
This new drill will surely help even more on the longer ones since I still catch the ball on the heel once in awhile, but with the Rossa Spider, it doesn’t matter that much on the short ones.
November 18th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Hi Nick.
Like others who have commented your article, I too will give it a try. I badly need to improve on this part of my game. Can you also suggest a simple drill for judging the distance of the putt? Many said that putting is a very personal thing and putting distance must be practiced with a “feel”. Is that true?
Thanks.
Nazri