Best training aids for improving your putting at home!
If you want to get better at golf then it needs work. But it isn’t just about smashing balls on the range – it’s about discipline. Allow us to help
Struggling for time to get down to the golf course during the week? It’s an issue that plagues us all, unfortunately. Long working hours, strict deadlines, and those so-called lunch breaks that are becoming increasingly non-existent. We get you. So why not practice golf at home, especially putting?
We’ve all tried those quick fixes. Head down to the driving range in the evening, or take a day’s holiday here and there to play during the week. Sure, it might make you feel like Tiger Woods reincarnated after thrashing them a few times, but it costs money. And that’s one thing that’s tight for everyone right now.
Train smart
You don’t need a PGA professional on call 24/7 or fancy video analysis from an online lesson to improve your putting, and that’s a fact. Making your home a golf academy can be done yourself easier than you think.
But there’s hitting balls into a fusty old mug in your lounge, and then there’s practicing your putting properly. There’s a slight difference between the two things. If you do the former, you’re the type of golfer who three putts a birdie chance. Shame on you. Do yourself a favour and practice properly with these drills at home. (And keep reading because you won’t find out how to otherwise…)
Know your stats
Ask a club golfer about their putting inside 10 feet and you’ll probably hear something like “my putting is pretty good”.
Just for balance, let’s take a look at Louis Oosthuizen’s putting stats from the 2021 PGA Tour season. Of the 69 rounds he played he made 839 putting attempts altogether, sinking 762 of them. That equates to a success rate of 90.82%.
Oosthuizen topped the stats of all players last season on the PGA Tour. The lowest was Kevin Stadler, who averaged 83.21%.
There aren’t any stats for club golfers unless you keep your own record, but it probably won’t be close to 80 per cent.
New rules
Discipline.
Remember that word. In life we practice for tests to help prevent us from failing. So treat your practice as practice and your time on the course as the test. A three-putt is a fail. And every one or two-putt is a pass.
Discipline.
Change your game
We make time for things we love in life. So make time for golf. Your lunch break is an ideal time for such things.
Split it in half. Eat, then practice. Practice, then eat. But don’t do both at the same time, that doesn’t count. You’re smarter than that. Use a room that has enough space for a medium-sized putt with decent lighting. And make sure you have some privacy to concentrate. Get in the zone.
Discipline.
You’re hired
But in order to practice you’ll need some tools to help you improve your golf game. Let’s take a look at what could be your new best friends to help you start giving yourself at home golf lessons…
Practice putting at home: PuttOut
+ A great drill designed to play exactly like a real green
+ Alignment aids to add extra challenges
+ Encourages distance control
RRP: £69.99
Size: 2.4m x 0.5m
Practice putting at home: Forb
+ Having more than one target to work towards adds variety
+ Bonus of actually being able to putt into a hole
+ Larger putting mat means you can practise a variety of putt lengths
RRP: £89.99
Size: 3m x 1m
Practice putting at home: Best Track Visible Touch
+ Dual side mat – a fast tournament speed side and a slower normal green speed side
+ Distance markings to help you work on the length and tempo of your stroke
+ Backstop so you don’t keep having to collecting balls that have run off the back of the mat
RRP: £119.95
Size: 3m x 0.5m
Practice putting at home: PuttOut Pressure
+ Real size hole for target practice
+ Micro target is designed to challenge you to increase your skill level
+ Also works as a golf ball returner
RRP: £11.99
Practice putting at home: Putt Return Machine
+ Automatic ball return for a smooth golf practice at home drill
+ Slightly larger target makes it a great exercise for beginners and kids to enjoy
RRP: £11.99
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Ben Outhwaite
Ben is National Club Golfer's Marketing Editor and the latest addition to our golf equipment review team.
He specialises in testing golf bags, beginner golf club sets, apparel and golf accessories. He also collates our buying guides so you know which are the latest and greatest bits of golf equipment on the market.
Ben picked up his first golf club when he was five years old – which was in fact a left-handed set of clubs!
He is a member at Rudding Park Golf Club and has a handicap of fifteen.
