Want to open more shots? Try using this unconventional training tool

Welcome to Play Smarta regular GOLF.com game improvement column that will help you play smarter and better golf.

On almost every hole you’ll ever play, you’ll pull your camera out of your bag. With such a high frequency of use, it is wise to get plenty of practice with the flat stick.

For many recreational players, putting practice is an afterthought. The biggest thing they do on the practice green is roll a few shots before they go to the first tee. But if you really want to turn your shooter into a gun, it’s important to spend lots of time on the practice green.

However, just mindlessly rolling shots aimlessly won’t do you much good. If you really want to get the most out of your practice time, you need to have a plan.

A big one – and easy! — The practice method of putting was recently shared with me by GOLF Top 100 Teachers Joe Hallett. And the workout includes an unconventional training aid. See below.

Use a tennis ball to practice putting

If you see a tennis ball on the practice green, you can assume that someone has hit it with a racket from the nearby court. However, if you’re smart, a tennis ball can be a great training aid.

Lift about three feet from the cup, as you would for any other short workout. But instead of rolling a golf ball at the hole, use a tennis ball. This may seem unconventional, but setting up with a tennis ball has some great benefits.

“If the ball is not hit properly, it will bounce and not reach the hole,” says Hallet. “The other thing is, if it doesn’t go into the center of the cup, it won’t go in.”

After you roll a few shots with the tennis ball, you will begin to understand how to hit it to make it land in the cup.

On your next swing, replace the tennis ball with your golf ball. When you look at the ball from below and above the cup, it will give you a renewed sense of the size difference between the cup and the ball.

“It just puts everything into perspective,” says Hallet.

Try it next time you’re on the practice green. If you can teach yourself to hit a few tennis balls, you’ll be surprised how much easier it seems when you replace it with your golf ball.

Zephyr Melton

Editor of Golf.com

Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Before joining the GOLF team, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists with all lessons and covers amateur and women’s golf. He can be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com.