Ten Competitive Pressure Putting Drills
- Dr Paul McCarthy
- May 16
- 2 min read
Here are ten competitive pressure putting putting drills to build into your practice and lower your scores. Lets see how you can build a better game.
1. The Circle Drill (aka “Tic-Tac-Toe”)
Setup: Place 6–8 balls around the hole in a 3–5 ft radius.
Drill: Make every putt in a row without a miss.
Twist: If you miss one, start over.
Competitive Variant: Time yourself or race a partner.
2. Ladder Drill (Distance Control)
Setup: Place tees at 3ft, 6ft, 9ft, 12ft, 15ft.
Drill: Make one putt from each distance in order.
Twist: Miss = restart. You can also play it backward (15 to 3).
Competitive Variant: Take turns with a partner. First to complete the ladder wins.
3. Around the World
Setup: 6–8 putts in a circle from 5–6 ft.
Drill: Go around the world twice without a miss.
Twist: Add breaks/slopes for realism.
Competitive Variant: Alternate shots with a partner. Miss = your turn ends.
4. The 3-6-9 Drill
Setup: Place three balls at 3 ft, 6 ft, and 9 ft.
Drill: Sink all three consecutively.
Twist: Restart from 3 ft if you miss any.
Scoring Variant: Keep track of total makes in 10 cycles.
5. 1-2-3 Pressure Putt Game
Setup: One ball at 3 ft, one at 6 ft, one at 9 ft.
Drill: Make all three in a row. Add 1 point if you succeed.
Twist: Miss = 0 points that round.
Compete: First to 5 or 10 points wins.
6. Ghost Hole Drill
Setup: Use a coin or a small target as a "ghost" hole 10–20 feet away.
Drill: Try to stop your ball on the target.
Focus: Pure distance control.
Competitive Variant: Closest to the ghost hole wins each round.
7. Sudden Death Free Throw Putt
Setup: Choose a 6–8 ft putt with a bit of break.
Drill: Alternate turns with a partner.
Rules: Miss = you're out. Keep going until someone wins by one.
Solo Variant: Try to string 10+ makes in a row.
8. Clock Face Drill
Setup: 8–12 balls around the hole at equal distance (4 ft or 5 ft).
Drill: Make a full “clock” of putts in a row.
Twist: Miss = start from the beginning.
Compete: Time each other, or race in turns.
9. 21 Points Putting Game
Setup: Create a putt from 10–20 ft.
Scoring:
In the hole = 3 points
Inside 1 ft = 2 points
Inside 3 ft = 1 point
Miss = 0
Goal: First to 21 points wins. Alternate turns.
10. One-Ball Tournament Drill
Setup: Choose 9 or 18 different putts of varying distance and break.
Drill: Play each putt as a separate hole. Score like golf: 1 stroke if holed, 2 if two-putt, etc.
Goal: Lowest score wins.
Compete: Great for solo or head-to-head.
