What’s a good indoor drill for a beginning golfer to work on their putting stroke?

Sometimes the weather makes getting a good practice putting session in difficult. When you are stuck inside grab a putter, some golf balls, about 10 feet of carpet and a metronome to work on your putting rhythm. There are lots a great aids to help with your putting. In the video below I use a Mi Putting Template from Visio Golf created by Phil Kenyon and the metronome found on the Garage Band App if you are an iPhone user. The putting template is not necessary for the success of this exercise. I like to eliminate some variables and the putting template helps me visualize the stroke shape and I can dial in my start line skill in the process.

What you need :

1 putter
1 ball
1 red brick

A smooth surface to putt on if you don’t have a smooth carpet buy a 8 foot runner that you would see at a business.
A red brick on it’s side is twice as wide as a golf hole setting upright it is the exact width of a golf hole and facing the edge it is half the width of a golf hole. Start by putting at the widest side from about 5 feet away and work on hitting easy with a short rebound off the brick. Then slowly start hitting it harder to get a bigger rebound. As you get better start using a narrower side of the brick doing the same drills. When you are able to hit the edge of the brick with a long rebound you should be able to putt pretty well.

Most amateurs I teach have a tendency to move their head during their putting stroke.

Try this indoor drill:

Place your head in the door way and assume your putting stance. Next make several strokes while keeping your head against the door frame. If you feel your head wanting to move it probably is on the course resulting in pulls and pushes.

Learn to keep your head still by making strokes in the doorway without your head moving. If necessary turn around and place your tailbone in the door jam and make additional strokes. The less your body moves the more face control your putter will have in relation to your target line.

Conquer this drill and watch your putting improve dramatically.

Put the toe of your putter against the wall. Then take your stance and bend from your waist and stand closer until the top of your head is also resting on the wall. This ensures your eye is directly over the ball at address. Take small putting strokes back and forth using the wall to stabilize your stroke.

Indoor putting is a great way to improve your putting stroke so long as you have a good surface to roll the ball. I would recommend purchasing an inexpensive putting mat to get you started. My favorite drill for any player is to putt using only their trail hand (right hand for right-handed golfers). Simply place your lead hand behind your back and grip the club with your trail hand in its normal position on the club. Make one handed stokes from just 3-4 feet to start. Keep your hand relaxed and just make a basic stroke allowing the club to ‘swing’ back and through. With only one hand it will be difficult to manipulate the clubhead. Almost immediately you will begin to ‘feel’ the hit and release of the putter head through impact. This releasing motion is crucial to consistent putting. After 10-12 one handed putts, use both hands focusing on the same right-hand motion. Alternate between 10 one hand strokes followed by 5 two handed strokes to solidify the feel and motion. As you gain confidence, try moving back a few more feet.

I love this drill for all levels of players. There is a reason why this has been Tiger Woods’ go to putting drill for years. And it has worked quite well for him!

A reoccurring problem I see among all golfers with their putting stroke is they position their eyes incorrectly at set-up and move their head before striking the ball. An easy way to correct these flaws is to place a small flat mirror on the ground and position a golf ball on it. When you set up with your putter behind the ball your eyes should be over the ball or slightly inside the ball (never outside). Then make your stoke and make sure that your head does not move until after you hit the ball. Your putting stoke will become more consistent and you will hit your putts more solidly. Result – fewer putts and lower scores.

Most players don’t realize their stroke path is all over the place. A simple drill for the winter indoor months would be to address a ball in your hallway about 1 to 2 inches from the baseboard. Make putter swings and do not touch the wall. Your putting game will love this in the spring.

To keep your putting sharp here is a drill that I use at home. First take your normal putting stance and grip. Next, take your lead hand and place it on your trail shoulder. Now putt the ball, making sure to strike the ball with a descending blow, holding the putter with your trail hand only. Rock those shoulders.

Place an old CD upside down so you can see your face in the mirror side. Place ball in the middle and make small stokes. Be sure you see your face in the mirror after the ball leaves.

After working for 30+ years with golfer’s of all skill levels, you see patterns. I work with local boys high school team the past five winter indoor. We do the line game to develop speed control from various distances. The drill video for further understanding is at my website to see. As well as other putting drills in the video I did outdoor at Plum Creek Golf Club in Carmel.

Most beginners struggle to understand how the body moves during the putting stroke, and we tend to see the wrists and elbows breaking down quite a bit. Try this drill: Start without a putter – place an alignment stick across your chest and under your armpits. Place your palms together in front of you and get into your putting posture. Start to move the hands back and through and notice how your shoulders are rocking in unison with your hands. Once comfortable with this, put the putter in your hands and try to make the same motion. Keep your wrists and elbows firm, and notice how your whole upper body moves as one piece. Once comfortable with that, try putting some balls across the carpet with that alignment rod still running across your chest.

One of the most common faults I see beginners have in their putting stroke is a lower body that moves around during the stroke. Stabilizing the lower body is important to build a more consistent stroke. Here is a simple drill to do at home. Get in your putting stance. Engage your core and your gluts. Now back up towards a wall until you feel your gluts lightly pressing agains the wall. Make a stroke without changing the pressure against the wall. Remember to keep your core and gluts engaged during the stroke. Do this 10-20 per day and your will see the benefits on the course!

To groove a dependable, consistent putting stroke: putt on a yardstick. Being able to roll the ball down the yardstick (3 feet) ensures the ball is starting where you intend it to. All you have to do now is pick the right line and the right speed. Visualize that yardstick when on the course – and get your putt started on it. Happy making!