We've all been there: we've hit it close for birdie and failed to convert. Worse still, we've lagged a putt from distance and missed the par attempt. It's demoralising and can impact the rest of your game. In the video and article below, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Rick Shiels shares a Jordan Spieth putting drill to help you become more reactive over short putts and hole out more efficiently.
It is hardly a secret that Jordan Spieth looks at the hole sometimes when putting from close range, but why does he take this unusual approach? The simple answer is to ensure he reverts to feel when under pressure.
Spieth works tireless on his putting technique in practice. He diligently goes through his routine ingraining the keys to a rock solid game on the greens. But when competing for real, he doesn’t want to be distracted thinking about technique. Spieth looks at the hole to become more reactive to the situation, relying on feel to make the putt.
This is a clever approach and has worked incredibly well for him. In practice, set up four balls in a line working progressively further away from the hole. Start at the nearest and hit each ball while looking at the hole. Crucially, I want you to do this quickly. Don’t think between putts, be as reactive as possible. Not only will this start to hone your feel for short putts, but you’ll also get a much better appreciation of where on the face you are striking the ball.
1. Think feel not technique
If you get bogged down thinking about technique at address, tension is likely to creep in and kill the flow of your stroke.
2. The drill
Pick a relatively straight putt, place the first ball 3ft from the cup and each of the other balls a further 3ft away. As the line of each putt is the same, you’ll develop a great feel for speed.
3. Flowing stroke
By becoming more reactive, your stroke is likely to develop a better flow with the putter, releasing after impact and delivering a stronger roll.
