Practicing your putting indoors doesn’t require a large space or fancy equipment. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced golfer, developing a consistent putting stroke is crucial for improving your scores. These simple indoor putting drills will help you enhance your accuracy, distance control, and muscle memory, all from the comfort of your home. With just a putter, some golf balls, and a little space, you can turn your living room into an indoor putting green.
Drill 1: The 3-Foot Circle Drill
Purpose: To improve your short putt accuracy and build confidence for sinking multiple putts in a row.
How to Do It:
- Place a cup or a marker in the center of your practice area, preferably on carpet or a flat surface that can simulate a putting green.
- Arrange 6-8 golf balls in a circle around the cup, each about 3 feet away.
- Begin by hitting each ball toward the cup, moving clockwise around the circle. Focus on maintaining a smooth putting stroke and keeping your putter face square through impact.
- Once you complete the circle, move back a foot and repeat.
Why It Works:
This putting drill is fantastic for building muscle memory and confidence on short putts. By practicing short, controlled putts from different angles, you simulate real course conditions where putts aren’t always straight. The goal is to improve accuracy and consistency, so you can step up to a 3-foot putt on the course and confidently sink it.
Pro Tip: To challenge yourself, track how many putts in a row you can make. This adds a level of pressure that mimics in-game situations.
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Drill 2: The Gate Drill
Purpose: To improve your putting stroke by focusing on alignment and developing a straight, consistent stroke.
How to Do It:
- Set up two objects like books or water bottles parallel to each other, forming a “gate” that’s just slightly wider than the width of your putter.
- Place a ball behind the gate and align yourself as if you’re preparing for a real putt.
- Your goal is to hit your putt through the gate without your putter or ball touching the sides of the objects. Focus on keeping your putter face square and your stroke smooth.
Why It Works:
The Gate Drill is one of the best drills to improve your putting routine because it helps golfers focus on maintaining a straight stroke and solid alignment. Many golfers struggle with pushing or pulling putts, which stems from an off-line stroke. By practicing with this narrow gate, you’ll develop a straighter path and muscle memory for hitting your putts with better alignment.
Pro Tip: Start with a wider gate, then gradually narrow it as your stroke improves. You’ll notice greater accuracy and fewer off-line putts when you practice this way.
Drill 3: The Distance Control Drill (Lag Putting)
Purpose: To improve your distance control and feel for longer putts, simulating lag putting.
How to Do It:
- Set up a target, such as a piece of tape or a cup, about 10-15 feet away.
- Place several golf balls at varying distances from the target—starting at 5 feet and working your way back to 15 feet.
- Putt each ball with the goal of stopping it as close to the target as possible without overshooting. Pay special attention to your stroke length and the speed at which you hit the ball.
Why It Works:
Distance control is one of the trickiest aspects of putting, especially on longer putts. This drill mimics lag putting on the course, helping you develop touch and feel for those crucial long putts where the goal is to get close, rather than make every putt. By practicing this drill indoors, you’ll reduce your chances of three-putting and improve your ability to gauge distance.
Pro Tip: Add variety by changing the target distance each time you practice. This helps train your brain to adjust to different situations on the course, giving you a more well-rounded short game.
Drill 4: Putt Between Obstacles
Purpose: To sharpen your focus and ability to hit putts accurately through narrow spaces, simulating pressure situations on the green.
How to Do It:
- Set up two objects, like cups or water bottles, about a foot apart, creating a narrow path.
- Start by placing your ball 5 feet from the obstacles. Aim to hit your putt through the gap without touching the objects.
- As your accuracy improves, move the ball further back or make the gap narrower for added challenge.
Why It Works:
This drill forces you to focus intensely on your line and control, which is crucial for those short but tricky putts under pressure. It mimics having to putt through a narrow opening, like between two bunkers or over rough, which is something you’ll encounter on the course. It also helps build confidence and accuracy for hitting those must-make putts.
Pro Tip: Practice with varying distances to fine-tune both your line and your distance control. Combining accuracy with speed control makes this drill a powerful addition to your indoor routine.
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Drill 5: The Ladder Drill
Purpose: To practice distance control and improve your feel for putts of varying lengths, an essential skill for lag putting and avoiding three-putts.
How to Do It:
- Set up four or five markers or targets (like pieces of tape or coins) at incremental distances from your starting point.
- Begin by hitting putts to the closest marker, then move back and aim for the next marker. Your goal is to stop the ball as close to each target as possible.
- Work your way up the ladder and then back down, focusing on consistent speed and accuracy.
Why It Works:
The Ladder Drill is excellent for building muscle memory around distance control, which is key for both short putts and longer lag putts. It helps you develop touch for varying distances, ensuring that you’re not just good from one range but can handle putts from all over the green.
Pro Tip: Make it competitive by seeing how many times you can hit the exact distance on the first try. This adds a level of challenge and fun to your practice.
Table: Overview of Simple Indoor Putting Drills
| Drill Name | Purpose | Equipment Needed | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Foot Circle Drill | Improve short-putt accuracy | Putter, golf balls, cup/target | Beginner |
| Gate Drill | Improve alignment and stroke | Putter, two books or bottles | Intermediate |
| Distance Control Drill | Develop feel for distance control | Putter, golf balls, target | Intermediate |
| Putt Between Obstacles | Sharpen focus for narrow targets | Putter, two objects (cups, bottles) | Beginner to Intermediate |
| Ladder Drill | Enhance distance control at various lengths | Putter, golf balls, markers | Advanced |
How to Stay Engaged with Your Indoor Putting Practice
Practicing indoors can sometimes feel repetitive, but it’s important to mix things up to stay motivated. Set small goals for each session, such as sinking a certain number of putts or improving your distance control on lag putts.
Compete against yourself by tracking how many consecutive putts you can make in the 3-foot circle drill or improve your score in the ladder drill. The key to improving your short game is consistency, so incorporate a variety of indoor putting drills into your routine and stick with it.
Your Indoor Putting Practice: The Key to a Sharper Short Game
Practicing putting at home isn’t just about passing the time—it’s about improving the consistency, accuracy, and confidence that make a difference on the course. With these simple indoor putting drills, you have everything you need to build a strong short game, even with limited space and equipment.
Stick with your putting routine, challenge yourself, and enjoy the process. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll feel when you step onto the green, ready to make those crucial putts count.
FAQs
1. How to practice putting indoors?
Practicing putting indoors is simple and effective, even if you don’t have a lot of space. You can set up a small area in your living room or hallway and use household items to create targets. Try simple indoor putting drills like the 3-foot circle drill or the gate drill, which help improve your accuracy and stroke. You can also focus on distance control using a marker or piece of tape as your target. By dedicating time to your putting routine at home, you’ll develop better consistency and confidence on the green.
2. How to practice putting with no equipment?
If you don’t have a putting mat or specific equipment, you can still effectively practice putting at home. For example, you can use a coin as a target and focus on hitting your ball toward it, improving your accuracy. Try the coin drill to practice hitting the center of the ball cleanly. Alternatively, use everyday objects like water bottles or books to create obstacles or gates to improve your putting stroke. You don’t need fancy tools—just a little creativity and space can help you maintain and enhance your short game.
3. Can I practice putting on carpet?
Yes, practicing putting on carpet is an excellent way to work on your putting stroke and distance control. While carpet is usually slower than a real putting green, it can still simulate the feel of a putt and help you work on accuracy. You can set up drills like the ladder drill or putt between obstacles to practice hitting your line and controlling the speed of your putts. Plus, practicing on a slower surface will make you more confident when you get back to the course, where greens tend to be faster.
4. Does putting indoors help?
Absolutely! Practicing putting indoors is one of the best ways to improve your short game without needing access to a course or practice green. Indoor putting drills help build muscle memory, improve your putting routine, and sharpen your focus on accuracy and consistency. The more you practice indoors, the more confident you’ll feel when it’s time to hit your putts on the course. It’s also a great way to work on both short and long putts, especially using drills like the gate drill or the distance control drill.
