Short Game Practice Drills

Try these drills to keep your short game practice fun and mentally engaged!

PUTTING

Clock Drill – Place one ball 3 feet away at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 o’clock.  In a counter clockwise direction putt all the balls in the hole.

a)     Do this first on a flat surface – goal; make 100%

b)     Second done on a slightly sloping surface – goal; make 85% (10)

c)      Finally do this on a very sloping surface – goal; make 75% (9)

Speed clock drill – Place 3 balls 3 feet away at 12, 3, 6, 9 o’clock.  In a counter clockwise direction putt with 3 different speeds…

a)     Speed 1 – ball barley reaches the hole, hovers on the lip and falls into the hole

b)     Speed 2 – ball falls into hole without touching the sides at all.

c)      Speed 3 – ball hits the back edge of the hole, pops up and then falls into the hole.

(This drill can be done on 3 different surfaces as the clock drill)

Ladder Drill – place a ball on the same line at 1 foot increments (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7… 15 feet).  Make as many in a row as possible.  Alternate this drill from a fairly straight line to an aggressive slope.

Distance Latter Drill – Lay a club at 30 feet.  From one spot putt as close as you can to the club.  Progressively shorten the next putt until there is no more room.  Count the number of balls that fit within the 30 feet.  Reverse this drill by hitting a ball as short as you can and then progressively lengthen the putt.

Bump Ball Drill – Hit the first ball as short as you can.  With the second ball tap the first ball forward.  Continue to tap the first ball forward as far as possible with following balls.

Hide the Hole – On a 10 foot long breaking putt place a one tee on the low side of the hole.   This will "hide" the "amateur" side of the hole and promote a higher and softer line for made putts. 

50 Putt Drill – take 5 balls at first from a very short distance (say 2 feet) and make all 5 of them 10x for 50 putts total.  The progressively move ball back 4-5 inches each time until you reach 4 feet.

CHIPPING

Box Drill – Put 4 tees in the shape of a box less than 1’x1’.  From various positions hit 10 shots attempting to land the ball in the box.  Observe and record the distance each shot rolls out.

Up & Down Game – With one ball chip/pitch on to the green and play the ball into the hole.  Alternate from easy to hard positions each time.

Chipping Ladder Drill  -Similar to the putting ladder drill. Place a few club on the ground at incremental distances apart, similar to a ladder. Number the clubs starting with 1 as the closest club and count so the second club is number 2. Find a starting point a few yards away from club #1. Your goal is to chip the balls so at least two land between clubs 1 and 2 and progress to the next distance between clubs 2 and 3. Repeat this drill until you completed the ladder. For a challenge reverse the procedure or call your target in the ladder and chip the ball there.

Basket Drill - Place a bucket of balls on the ground and a basket at 3, 6, 9 and 12 yards away. Practice chipping the balls into the baskets with all the clubs you might chip with during a round. Keep track of the percentage of balls you hit into the baskets and try to progressively improve your score over time.

Go through your entire - PRE SHOT ROUTINE!

If you have any questions please do not hesistate to contact me via email at: john.grothe@gmail.com
Your friend in golf,
John Grothe, PGA