In 1981, when my South Florida team arrived at Hop Meadow in Simsbury, Conn. – just outside of Hartford – we were greeted by a long, narrow golf course with deep rough and fast greens, very undulating. At our team dinner after the first round of practice, one of my teammates turned to me and said, “Well, TP, looks like it’s not going to be your week.”
I knew he was attacking me, so I asked, “Yes? Why is that?”
He replied: “It is too long for you, and rough is hard.”
Understand this: I have never been blessed with the gift of speed. Distance was never in my favor. All my teammates were tall and strong. I wasn’t.
But I explained – very matter of fact – that those very reasons were why I believed I would play well that week. First, the course was tight and I rode it straighter than the average bear. Second, I could putt, make and play bunker shots at a high level. And more than anything else, I can set my rock like nobody’s business.
I just told my teammate that I hoped he could continue. Everyone laughed. But I’m sure most of them thought he was right and that I was fantasizing.
By the end of the week, we had won the 1981 NCAA Division II National Championship by a whopping 35 strokes. All my teammates played well. And “Mr. Short Ball” — yours truly — captured the individual national championship with an outstanding week of performances.
As predicted.
To this day, I find time, usually early, before my day begins, to putt for at least 30 minutes. Remember: putting is all about feel. And without repetition, this most essential skill simply cannot be developed.
Below, you’ll find some of my favorite placement drills that I’ve learned and used for myself and my students over the past 36 years. At 60, I still set most days to a fairly high standard.
2 great placement drills
Latency training
I place four tees on the green to form a 4 foot by 4 foot square. I then take 10 normal steps away – roughly 30 feet – and place another pin on the ground.
From there, I set three-ball strides to the square. The goal is to get 18 balls in a row (18 holes) to finish inside the square. If even one is missing, you go back to zero and start over.
Keep this in mind: If the hole were in the center of that square, the second longest shot you’ll face is about two feet. If you can keep it inside that square consistently, you will do it dramatically reduce your three hits.
Gate drill
As the Lag Drill develops speed control, Gate drill it’s about starting the ball on the line. For a ball to start on the line, the face-to-face relationship at the stroke must be intact.
Place two tips just slightly wider than a shooting head. Center the ball between them and try hard, center-to-face contact. Once this becomes stable, build a second gate – slightly wider – halfway between your first gate and a hole five meters away.
