Jordan Spieth has shown that power is most certainly not everything it takes to make a great golfer. Jordan’s precision on the putting green has shown just how important putting really is to the game of golf and every players ability to score. Despite this putting is often the most neglected part of the game, and the simple improvements that could save you several shots on the golf course are often overlooked.
There are 3 important aspects to becoming a good putter:
- Starting Line
- Green Reading
- Speed
When you see most tour players practicing on the putting green at a tour event, you will often notice that starting line dominates their practice time. However when you see Spieth at an event you will notice just how much time he spends working on his speed control. This is the key to Jordan’s success on the greens because by having the ability to control the speed at which he strikes the putt it becomes far easier to read the green and choose a starting line with success. Without having good speed control on the greens the other two aspects become irrelevant.
There are several ways to practice your speed control, however there is one particular drill that allows you to combine all three putting elements while also receiving valuable feedback on each putt. The game is known as “The 3 point drill” and you will simply need 6 tees, 5 golf balls and a putting green.
Get one tee and simply choose any putt with a break, the tee will simply mark your starting point for the putt. The length, slope and amount of break is up to you but I would recommend starting with a putt from about 15ft and a small amount of break. From there place 3 tees in a semi circle approximately 2ft behind the hole, this will be “the safe zone” where we want the ball to finish should it miss the hole.
Once you have this set up now you must begin to read the putt correctly with the right amount of speed to finish in the hole, or miss in the safe zone which demonstrates the correct speed. Place the final two tees roughly halfway between the ball and the hole, on the intended line of the putt. The tee’s should be approximately a putter head or a little more apart from each other, and the object of the game is to roll the ball through the gate and into the hole.
Each putt you will have 5 attempts and there is a maximum of 15 points available for each hole. If your putt successfully passes through the gate you will receive 1 point, if it misses the hole but remains within the safe zone you will receive another point, and finally if the ball goes in the hole after passing through the gate you will receive all 3 points.
Try to play 9 holes of this drill using a variety of lengths and breaks. Add up your score at the end of the 9 holes and keep track of this each time you play it. By doing this drill regularly your ability to judge speed and read the greens should significantly improve.
