Best Putting Aids: Quick Menu
1. Why a putting aid?
2. The list in brief
3. Top pick
4. Most challenging
5. Best for storage
6. Best for pace control
7. Best putting game
8. Best for breaking putts
9. How we test
10. How to choose
11. FAQs
Putting is arguably the most important facet of the game of golf. You can drive it well, flush your irons, have a sublime short-game, but if you cannot put the ball in the hole on the green then it is all pointless.
Brands know this which is why many of them spend incredible amounts of time and money on creating the best putters for you whether they are blades, mid-mallets or mallets. But in modern golf there is a lot more attention on technique too with the creation of specific putting aids. This is where this guide comes in.
Why You'd Want To Buy A Putting Aid
So then why would you want to get one of the best putting aids out there? Well one of the best things about putting is, it is the one part of the game that can be practiced pretty much anywhere which makes a good putting aid one of the best golf accessories you can think about buying.
There are loads of different types of aid too so whatever you need to work on - whether that be feel, stroke, swing path, grip or confidence, there is something for everyone. Ultimately if a player is a better putter, then chances are they will be able to bring their handicap down and there is no better feeling in golf than holing a putt. So when looking at putting aids it is worth having a think about what will help you.
If you are after a putting mat, do you need a hole at the end so it feels like you are holing more putts, or just a flat mat to work on your stroke or pace control? Or maybe a putting mirror so you can actually see what your stroke is doing throughout?
We have looked at what we think are some of the best putting aids below, all of which will conveniently store away and be used pretty much anywhere so you can practice anywhere too. That way if you have a spare 10 minutes, you can go and work on your game. For more buying guides around putting and practice, check out our comprehensive pieces on the most forgiving putters and best golf training aids too.
The Quick List
The Perfect Practice Putting Mat is a great training aid that will help hone your stroke. The various lines do a great job of providing clear visual feedback.
A brilliant training aid that gives instant feedback on face angle. After only a few uses you'll be able to gain a clearer understanding of how you present the face at impact.
This PuttOUT mat rolls at a nice pace and the alignment lines dotted over it create an ideal area to practice the most important part of your game.
The Pure 2 Improve putting mat comes in two large sizes - 3 and 5 meters - which makes this a great mat if you're looking to improve your longer, lag putts.
This is one of most enjoyable and challenging putting aids out there. It's best use is to help with pace control and finding the 'perfect putt' is a great way to focus your practice.
Here's your chance to work on a part of your game that you've likely ignored, the breaking putt, which makes up around 90 per cent of your work on the greens.
Best Putting Aids
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Top pick
With Dustin Johnson's name on the box and after seeing several adverts for this mat, we recently tested the 9ft version to put it through its paces, and we were not disappointed. There are shorter versions available for those who are conscious of space but we were very happy with the performance on offer here.
The mat is relatively fast - quicker than the PuttOut Mat mentioned above - but not ridiculously quick. The slight incline toward the hole also makes you have to hit the ball nice and firm, a great way to practice putting pace which you can translate into more putts holed on the golf course. The various lines on the mat helped create clear visual aids which helped alignment as well as the start line of the putt, and path of the stroke.
Once a putt is holed, the ball conveniently comes back down the wooden runner on the right so you don't have to march back and forth every time you've holed a putt.
- Read our full Perfect Practice Perfect Putting Mat Review
Most challenging
First up is the Devil balls from PuttOUT, which we think is a brilliant putting training aid that gives instant feedback on face angle at impact. The ball is designed with a flat-edged impact zone to exaggerate the face angle delivered at impact and help teach golfers the right feel to get the putter face as square as possible at impact. It has half of the tolerance of a normal golf ball, so those three-foot putts are doubly difficult.
In testing the feedback was pretty clear and instantaneous, and it was unlike anything we have used to practice putting before. Quickly we gained a better understanding of face angle and this has most definitely helped when the putts matter.
The ball also has three difficulty levels that slowly reduce the tolerance of face angle you can present for the ball to roll properly which is a nice feature. Finally it's worth noting that the alignment marker that comes in the pack also works as a brilliant training aid to encourage you to hit up on the ball.
- Read our full PuttOUT Devil Balls Review
Best for storage
We have been fans of PuttOUT products for a few years now and one of the best is this mat. It has printed alignment guides, target points, distance markings and replicates a medium-to-fast green so there are lots of things you can work on here.
It measures just under eight feet in length, has a stimp reading of 10 and rolls up neatly into a bag with a strap for easy transportation. The tacky surface on the underside ensures it stays in position and our testing has shown it be hard wearing and high quality. Additionally for more putting mats have a read of our best golf mat guide.
- Read our full PuttOut Home Putting Studio Review
Best for pace control
Another mat to make this best putting aids guide is this Pure 2 Improve model. It comes in two fairly large sizes - 3 meters and 5 meters - which makes this a great putting mat if you're looking to improve your pace control and longer, lag putts.
There isn't an actual golf hole at the end of the mat, but we found the big target area is great for practicing those longer putts where you are just looking to get the ball within gimmie length, rather than holing it outright. The various target area and alignment tools on this mat allow for varied practice sessions with the putter to work on different elements of the stroke.
Best putting game
Another top notch PuttOUT product is this premium trainer. It has been designed to simulate the exact conditions of putting into a real hole by returning the ball the same distance it would have gone past.
Hit a perfect putt and the ball will stay in hole up the curved ramp but don’t expect to experience this all too often. It’s incredibly difficult to do, which is good in a way as it really narrows your focus on achieving perfect line and pace but it is certainly a frustrating way to pass the time.
It won’t return your ball all the way back to you, like the Perfect Practice Putting Mat does, but it still does a good job of rewarding good putts and punishing bad ones
- Read our full PuttOut Premium Pressure Putt Trainer review
Best for breaking putts
This putting mat comes with three revolutionary breaking balls that are weighted differently to replicate three severities of break. The green ball has a slight break, the red ball has a medium break and the blue ball has a heavy break. Inside the ball is a screw and, if the screw is on the right, the ball will break left to right and vice versa.
Previously, golfers have only been able to practice straight putts from the comfort of their own home, which you can of course do here using a normal ball, but the breaking balls add another dimension to your practice which should stand you in better stead when over a tricky six-footer on the course next time out.
- Read our full Breaking Balls Putting Mat review
How we test golf gear
At Golf Monthly we test golf gear with the same ethos because we aim to be as thorough and transparent as possible because this will better inform us on the quality of products, and therefore we aim to inform you as well.
A crucial part of this ethos is simply by using the products properly, whether that be out on the golf course, or in the case of training or putting aids, on practice areas, driving range or at home. We feel this is a good way to see the performance of the products, test the manufacturers claims, and see what the product is like in the real world. One final point worth mentioning is that no manufacturer can pay for a good review, because our team tells it how it is.
How to choose a putting aid
What factors should you think about when looking at the best putting aids? We take a look below.
Design
This is the most important factor you need to think about and what we mean here is what form of putting aid are you after because different designs do different things. If you want to work on your stroke mechanics then a putting mirror is the way to go, or if you want to get better in terms of feel and pace control there are a couple of good mats above.
Alternatively if you just want a fun game, or build your confidence by seeing the ball go into a hole, then there are a few models above which will deliver for you.
Durability
A good golf putting aid should be strong and durable because we want to use them all of the time, and we want to take them anywhere so we can practice anywhere. As such putting aids are often made with strong plastics or other materials that will not break for a long time.
Portability
As we mentioned above putting aids have to be easy to pull out or put away. They have to be easy to carry or fit nicely in your golf bag too if you see yourself using yours anywhere.
Where are you going to use it?
Have a think about where you want to use your putting aid. Indoors? Outdoors? On carpet? On wooden flooring? This will then dictate which models above you want to go for.
Price
Thankfully most putting aids are not too expensive these days so everyone has the ability to work on their putting. That being said there are models at different price points so it is a question of how much you want to spend.
FAQs
What putting aids do the pros use?
When we have been out on Tour we have seen professionals using a variety of different putting aids. Some decide to simply use tees and alignment sticks whilst others use putting mirrors. We believe some also use putting mats and practice greens in their own homes as well.
How do you practice putting in golf?
There a variety of ways to practice putting these days because there are several different elements to putting. As such the answer to this question will entirely depend on what you want to work on. If you want to work on your stroke, then a plane device or mirror will do the job, whereas if you want to practice with games then an aid with a hole will work here. Additionally there are devices for alignment, pace control, posture and several other facets to putting as well.
If you want more buying advice, why not take a look at our guides on the best golf net, or best golf mat as well.