Practice drills

Putting Distance Control Drills

Putting drills for speed control, lag putting and predictable distance feel.

Skill area: PuttingBest location: Putting green · Putting matTypical time: 8–30 minDifficulty: Beginner to intermediate

How to use these drills

These drills are for golfers who leave too many putts short, race them too far past, or practise putting only by trying to hole everything. They solve that by turning speed control into a zone-based skill with simple scoring and a clear place inside a session.

Use them by opening with a ladder for basic feel, then mixing distances or stop zones, and finishing with a lag-putt pressure game. That gives you both touch practice and a realistic test of whether you can avoid three-putts.

Drill list

Structured drills you can use straight away

Every drill has a purpose, a setup, a scoring method and a clear moment where it fits in practice.

Drill 1

Distance Ladder

Purpose: build repeatable speed control to zones instead of obsessing over whether the putt goes in.

Time: 8–12 minBest location: Putting green or mat

Who it is for

Golfers who leave too many long putts short or race them past the hole.

Setup

Choose three to five distance zones on a putting green or mat.

How to do it

Roll putts to each zone without focusing only on making the putt.

How to score it

1 point for finishing inside the chosen zone.

When to use it

Use it as your main putting distance-control block.

Common mistake

Aiming only at the hole instead of practising speed zones.

Drill 2

Stop Zone Drill

Purpose: improve speed control through a safe finish area past the hole.

Time: 6–8 minBest location: Putting green or mat

Who it is for

Golfers who need a clearer picture than simply 'hit it close'.

Setup

Place an imaginary or visible zone just past the hole.

How to do it

Roll putts with the goal of stopping inside the zone rather than trying to die every ball at the cup.

How to score it

Score each putt that stops inside the zone.

When to use it

Use it after a ladder when you want a clearer finish picture.

Common mistake

Making the stop zone so tiny that you stop learning from the reps.

Drill 3

Long-Short Alternation

Purpose: prevent repetitive rhythm and force you to recalibrate speed every ball.

Time: 6–8 minBest location: Putting green or mat

Who it is for

Golfers who putt well in straight sets from one distance but struggle when the next putt feels different.

Setup

Choose one long putt and one shorter putt.

How to do it

Alternate long and short putts while keeping your routine consistent and your speed intention specific.

How to score it

Score whether speed adjusts successfully on each change of distance.

When to use it

Use it in the middle of a session when you want variability without too much complexity.

Common mistake

Letting the long-putt rhythm leak into the short putt or vice versa.

Drill 4

Three-Putt Avoidance Game

Purpose: make distance control feel like scoring, not just feel practice.

Time: 6–8 minBest location: Putting green or mat

Who it is for

Golfers who want more course-like lag putting practice.

Setup

Use a first-putt safe zone and a clear expectation for the second putt.

How to do it

Putt the first ball to a safe zone, then the second putt must be holed or finish very close.

How to score it

Score successful two-putt outcomes.

When to use it

Use it late in the session when you want a realistic consequence drill.

Common mistake

Treating the first putt like a make attempt instead of a smart speed-control shot.

Drill 5

Final Five Lag Putts

Purpose: finish the session with committed speed-control reps under light pressure.

Time: 4–5 minBest location: Putting green or mat

Who it is for

Golfers who want a simple benchmark before they leave the green.

Setup

Choose five different lag putts and commit to a full routine each time.

How to do it

Treat every putt as a single attempt with a fresh read and a clear target zone.

How to score it

Score how many of the five finish inside the target zone.

When to use it

Use it as the final block or a pre-round touch check.

Common mistake

Finishing the session by rolling putts casually instead of committing to the read and speed.

Mini session preview

30-Minute Putting Distance Control Session

This putting session builds touch with a ladder, then forces you to recalibrate pace between distances before finishing with a game designed to reduce three-putts.

30-Minute Putting Distance Control Session

Speed zones, alternating distances and three-putt prevention.

30 min

Putting Green / Home MatGoal: Putting Distance ControlEnergy: Normal

Session blocks

5 blocks

1.Roll + Speed Warm-Up
Roll putts without much consequence so your feel for pace wakes up first.
4 min
Warm-up
2.Distance Ladder
Score putts to speed zones so distance control becomes objective.
10 min
Skill
3.Long-Short Alternation
Alternate distances so you keep adjusting speed instead of falling into one rhythm.
7 min
Skill
4.Three-Putt Avoidance Game
Test whether your lag putting leaves realistic second putts.
7 min
Challenge
5.Reflection
Record which distance pattern gave you the most reliable pace today.
2 min
Cooldown

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