(PART III, Conclusion)

Continued from blog entry – “Putting . . . PART II”

DISTANCE:
The second component, distance control, is in my opinion the more important of the two basic functions. Distance control is a by-product of two criteria: the length of your putting motion and the pace of that motion. I myself, as a teacher/coach, like to see symmetrical motions. That is equal distance both back and through. Distance control is largely a by-product of developed feel. But there are two drills I like mainly because of their simplicity:

1. Staggered Ball Drill:
Place 6 balls in 5 foot increments (5, 10,15, 20, 25, 30) from the hole and simply practice making each ball finish with a reasonable distance from the hole.
Do this drill from four different sides of the hole to address different speeds and breaks.

2. Lag Speed Drill:
Position yourself 30′ from the putting green and simply practice lagging your six balls as close to the fringe as possible without touching it.
Do this in both an uphill as well as a downhill putt mode.

(Photos: Lag Speed Drill)