A 15-minute putting practice routine you can do at home
You do not need a putting green to get better at putting. The things that decide most short putts, where the face points and whether the stroke stays connected, can be trained on a living room carpet. Here is a 15-minute routine that fits into an evening.
What you need
- A flat carpet or rug, about two metres long.
- A mug or a glass on its side as a target.
- A coin.
- Two books, or two tees pushed into the carpet.
- Optional: two alignment sticks.
Minutes 1 to 3: feel the stroke
No ball yet. Take your setup and make slow strokes, rocking your shoulders with the arms and putter moving as one piece. If you have alignment sticks, use them so they run up the outside of your arms into your armpits. You can hold them against the grip, tape them on, or use Pendulo, which clips onto the shaft and holds them for you. Twenty slow strokes, focusing on keeping the sticks against your arms.
Minutes 4 to 6: the coin
Put a coin on the carpet and try to strike it so it slides straight forward. It is much smaller than a ball, so any miss in face angle or contact shows up. Ten strikes. If the coin twists or squirts sideways, slow down and keep the triangle quiet.
Minutes 7 to 10: the gate
Set two books just wider than a ball, about 30 cm in front of it, with a gap to roll through. Put the mug about two metres away behind the gate. Every putt must go through the gate cleanly. Most golfers find this harder than expected, and it is the best start-line feedback you can get at home.
Minutes 11 to 13: pace by rhythm
Pick three distances on your carpet: short, medium and long. Use the same smooth rhythm for all three and only change the length of the backswing. Try to stop each ball within a putter length of your marker. Carpet is not a green, so the aim here is consistent rhythm rather than exact speed.
Minutes 14 to 15: finish with pressure
Back to the mug at about one metre. Hole five in a row. If you miss, start again. Finishing on a small pressure test makes you care about each putt, which is how putts feel on the course.
Tips to get the most from it
- Keep it short. Stop while you are still focused. Fifteen good minutes beats forty tired ones.
- Use the same routine before every putt. Practise your pre-putt routine too, not just the stroke.
- Film it now and then. A phone propped on the floor, face on, shows wrist movement clearly.
Keep reading
When you get to a green, try the six alignment stick putting drills. If the coin keeps twisting, read how to stop your wrists breaking down.
Practise the one-piece stroke with Pendulo
Clips to your putter below the grip and holds two alignment sticks up your arms, so you feel it the moment your wrists take over. 45 g, no tools.
Buy on Amazon UKQuestions golfers ask
Does practising on carpet help on real greens?
Yes for stroke, aim and start line, which do not depend on the surface. Pace is different on carpet, so treat distance work at home as rhythm practice and check speed on a real green.
Do I need a putting mat?
No. Any flat carpet or rug works. A mat helps if your floor is hard or uneven, but it is not essential.
How often should I practise at home?
Little and often. Ten to fifteen minutes three or four times a week builds a habit faster than one long session.
