(Image credit: Tom Miles)

Learn how to putt better under pressure with this simple tip from Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Gary Smith

Fault

- You do not feel comfortable holing out under pressure

- Your short putting is a weakness

Fix

When you are under pressure, doing your best to grind out a respectable medal score that your practice time really pays off. You may have seen this drill before, but it’s worth mentioning again because this is an excellent way of recording your improvement while testing all aspects of your putting. Mark a tee peg around a foot from the hole and mark out a line of ten pegs with equal spacing. Starting with the shortest putt, see how many putts you can hole in a row, moving further from the hole with each putt. If you miss any of them, start again. This is a great way to fix faults in your putting without getting too technical.

If you manage to hole all ten, move to a more sloping area of the green and start again. This drill is a great way to learn how to putt better under pressure. For great drills to hone your touch, read Rory McIlroy's article on feel drills.

Read more top putting tips

Think in fractions

If you are really serious about taking your putting to the next level this is a drill I would suggest to lower handicappers. The best putters in the world will work out which part of the hole they want the ball to drop in. You can work on this by placing three tee pegs in a semi circle around the back of the hole. Before putting, you should choose either the left edge, right edge or centre of the cup. From around 6ft try to hole the putt dead weight into the selected part of the hole.

 

Neil Tappin
Editor

In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he has also presented many Golf Monthly videos looking at all areas of the game from Tour player interviews to the rules of golf. 

Throughout his time with the brand he has also covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points. 


Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons: PING Blueprint S (4&5), PING Blueprint T (6-PW) Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X