Making Putting Practice More Like Real Golf

Add consequence

On the practice green, real golf does not let you hit seven identical 7-irons until one feels right. To make putting practice transfer, add variety and consequence. On the practice green, change clubs, targets, lies, reads, and routines. Use one ball for pressure games whenever possible.

Play games with teeth

Try these:

1. Before a putting game ends, pick a nine-hole “course” on the range.
2. Pick the entry point before the stroke.
3. Before a putting game ends, score fairway, green, or up-and-down points.
4. On the practice green, start over if you skip the routine.

Practice the next shot

On the practice green, if you miss the target, do not pretend the hole ended. When pace control is the goal, choose the recovery, chip, lag putt, or reset routine that would follow. On the practice green, the more your practice includes consequences, the less surprising the course becomes.