Putting Drills for Distance Control
I am a weekend golfer who's struggled with distance control on the greens for years. After countless three-putts that crushed my confidence and destroyed my scores, I finally discovered the secret that tour pros have known all along: distance control isn't about hitting putts harder or softer – it's about developing a systematic approach to stroke length and tempo.
What finally clicked for me was understanding that Dave Pelz's studies show that distance control in the short game and putting is 3 times more important than direction. This revelation changed everything about how I practice putting.
Through my journey from frustrated weekend warrior to confident putter, I've learned that mastering distance control is the fastest way to eliminate those momentum-killing three-putts and start impressing your buddies with clutch lag putts.
What Is Distance Control in Putting?
Distance control in putting is your ability to roll the ball the exact distance you intend, regardless of the green's speed or slope. It's the difference between leaving yourself comfortable tap-ins and facing nerve-wracking four-footers for par.
Getting to grips with putting distance control is one of the quickest ways to sharpen up your short game and eliminate pressure on your second putt, explains Ali Orchard, PGA Teaching Professional.
Most amateur golfers make the same mistake I used to make – they focus on hitting putts harder or softer instead of developing consistent stroke mechanics. When golfers attempt to control distance on mid-to-long putts, many simply try and hit the ball harder or softer. They usually adopt the same length of stroke and vary the amount of oomph given each time. This is quite a difficult way to be consistent with your distance control, notes Katie Dawkins (Advanced PGA professional, 20+ years experience, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach 2022).
But there's more.
The statistics tell the real story about why distance control matters so much. The USGA statistics states the average male golfer shoots a 98-99 and has at least 40 putts per round or 2.2 putts per hole. Most recreational and amateur golfers are well above this number while professional golfers average about 1.8 putts per hole and 32 putts per round.
🎯 Distance Control Reality Check
- ⭐ Amateur golfers average 36-44 putts per round
- ⭐ Tour professionals average 29 putts per round
- ⭐ Poor distance control causes most three-putts from long range
Why Do Most Golfers Struggle With Putting Distance Control?
After talking to countless weekend golfers at my course, I've discovered we all make the same fundamental errors. The biggest mistake is thinking distance control comes from varying the force of your stroke rather than developing consistent mechanics.
Most golfers don't pay attention to this skill, and it is costing them multiple shots per round. There is really no excuse for excessive three putting; it is within everyone's reach to fix, according to Practical Golf's analysis.
Brad Faxon (8-time PGA Tour winner, led PGA Tour in putting average 1996, 1999, and 2000 when he set the single-season record with 1.704 putts per greens in regulation) explains his approach: "My only secret is confidence... I just try to hit every putt as if I've just made a million in a row."
Let me explain.
The science behind distance control reveals why most amateurs struggle. Striking the center of the putter face more consistently is one of the keys to putting distance control. When you miss the sweet spot, your distance control becomes unpredictable, no matter how good your read or tempo might be.
Now here comes the good part.
Understanding green speed variations is crucial. Another important, yet overlooked statistic is 1st putt length. Getting the ball close to the pin for the 1st putt will dramatically reduce your overall putts and help lower your score, reports 18Birdies research.
How Do Tour Professionals Control Putting Distance?
Tour professionals approach distance control completely differently than weekend golfers. Instead of varying force, they focus on stroke length and maintaining consistent tempo.
When we hit a long putt really hard the ball skids and jumps all over the place before rolling. So it's far better to maintain a pendulum action, ensuring the tempo remains the same for each putt, short or long, explains Katie Dawkins.
According to Dave Pelz (former NASA physicist, Golf Digest's 25 Most Influential Instructors of the 20th Century, instructor to 11 professional students who won 21 major championships), the key is understanding optimal putting speed. His research determined that when you miss, your putts should end up 17 inches past the hole. If you roll them faster, you'll suffer more lip-outs. Roll them slower and the ball will be knocked off line by imperfections (footprints, pitch marks, etc.) in the green.
What's more...
The statistical evidence supports the tour professional approach. According to research by Mark Broadie, a professor at Columbia University who is responsible for the 'strokes gained" concept, on average PGA TOUR pros make 99% of 2-foot putts, 96% of 3-foot putts, 88% of 4-foot putts and 77% of 5-foot putts.
But the numbers get really interesting from longer distances. From 10 feet, the pros' one-putt percentage is 40%, 23% from 15 feet, 15% from 20 feet, 7% from 30 feet, 4% from 40 feet, 3% from 50 feet and 2% from 60 feet.
🎯 Tour Pro Distance Control Secrets
- ⭐ Consistent stroke length controls distance, not force
- ⭐ Optimal speed finishes 17 inches past the hole on misses
- ⭐ Sweet spot contact is more important than perfect read
9 Essential Putting Drills for Distance Control
After years of experimenting with different practice routines, I've discovered these nine drills that transformed my lag putting from liability to strength. These are the same techniques that 11 of Pelz's professional students have won a total of 21 major championships using.
Are you ready to get started?
1. The Ladder Drill
This is the foundation drill that every great lag putter masters first. The tee ladder drill is a great place to start if you have never worked on a putting drill for speed. With this one, you will place three tees in a line about 9-12 inches apart. Setup the first tees at the 5-foot mark, the second set at the 10 feet, and the third set at 15 feet.
The goal is simple: putt your ball to finish between each set of markers, working your way from short to long distances. This drill teaches you the stroke length required for specific distances.
2. Dave Pelz's 20-Foot Distance Control Drill
If you were to chart your putts in a single round, you'd probably find that many of your first attempts are from roughly 20 feet away. So it makes sense to feel confident over 20-footers, explains Dave Pelz.
Mark two spots, 20 feet from opposite sides of the hole. From the first spot, putt in groups of three balls until you can stop them all within one putter-length of the back of the cup, without leaving any short.
This drill builds the foundation for confident lag putting from the most common distance you'll face on the course.
3. The Leapfrog Drill
PGA Professional Tessa Teachman has given us a fun way to practice lag putting with this engaging drill. Instead of vaulting yourself over another person, the goal is to send each golf ball past the previous one and see how far you can get.
Start with your first putt, then try to roll the second ball just past the first, the third just past the second, and so on. This drill develops incredible feel for small distance variations.
4. The Three-Tee Tempo Drill
Golf Digest's Kevin Smeltz shares this tempo-building drill: Put one in the ground at the ball, one about 8 inches behind and one about 8 inches ahead. Try to swing your putter with an even rhythm, not going back past the back tee and not going through beyond the front tee.
This drill eliminates the amateur tendency to take a short backswing and then accelerate through impact.
5. The Eyes Closed Feel Drill
One way to clear your head of extraneous keys while learning to judge distance on the green is by practicing putts of different lengths while blindfolded. From a number of distances, place a few balls on the green, glance at the hole then close your eyes or tie on a blindfold.
This drill forces you to rely on feel rather than mechanical thoughts, developing the natural distance control that separates good putters from great ones.
🎥 Professional Distance Control Demonstration
This demonstration shows the distance control techniques explained above
6. The Progressive Distance Drill
Start 1m away from the hole, placing tees at 1 metre intervals until you have tee markers from 1m-10m. Place one tee on the other side of the hole just two feet past. The idea here is to succeed at each station before you move back to the longer putt, instructs Ali Orchard.
This systematic approach builds confidence progressively while teaching your muscles the exact stroke length needed for each distance.
7. The Brad Faxon Visualization Drill
Brad Faxon is one of the best short-game players the game has ever seen. This drill will help you understand how he approaches distance control and the technique he uses. Stand beside the ball and look at the hole while taking exaggerated practice strokes. Let the putter swing freely.
The key is developing the same confident, free-flowing stroke that made Faxon one of the greatest putters in PGA Tour history.
8. The Speed Ladder Variation
Use a rhythm like tick-tock or 1-2, keeping the same tempo almost like having a metronome in your head. If you can maintain this throughout all of your putts, it makes it easier to gauge distance simply by the length of stroke.
Place four balls on flat ground and putt them with identical tempo but increasing stroke length. You should see a perfect ladder formation with even spacing between balls.
9. The Pressure Distance Drill
Finally, putt three balls from 60 feet away. If all three finish within six feet of the hole, you're finished. If any one is more than six feet away, putt the final three again until they're all within the six-foot range.
This advanced drill simulates pressure while developing the distance control needed for very long putts.
🎯 Distance Control Practice Session Structure
- ⭐ Start with 5 minutes of tempo work (drill #4)
- ⭐ Practice feel development (drills #5 and #7) for 10 minutes
- ⭐ Build systematic distance control (drills #1, #2, #6) for 15 minutes
How Does Stroke Length Affect Distance Control?
Understanding the relationship between stroke length and distance is crucial for consistent lag putting. There are two options for putting stroke lengths: Short back, longer through = back 30/40% length, through 70/60% length. Equal back and through = back (50% length), through (50% length).
Ali Orchard prefers the short back, longer through approach because I believe it promotes commitment and confidence through to your target line.
And here's why.
The physics of putting supports this approach. When you take the putter back too far and then decelerate, you lose control over both distance and direction. Smeltz says that he sees too many people take the putter back short and then accelerate aggressively through the ball. Instead, he says you want an even rhythm with the putter when you take it back and follow through.
Most importantly...
Your stroke length should be proportional to the distance you want the ball to travel. The amount of space from tee to tee will depend on the length of the putt—it'll take a little bit of trial and error to figure out the correct tee spacing for different length putts.
The result?
Once you develop this system, you'll have a reliable way to control distance on any green speed. If we train our muscles and mind to attach thought process to distances during our practice it injects confidence and clear process that we can follow on the course.
What Are the Most Common Distance Control Mistakes?
Through my years of weekend golf and watching countless playing partners struggle with lag putting, I've identified the most damaging distance control mistakes that destroy confidence and inflate scores.
The biggest error is inconsistent impact location. I'm firmly convinced that distance control is absolutely related to quality of strike. If you're not striking the ball in the center of the face, you'll never have good distance control, explains a seasoned golf instructor.
So read on.
Another common mistake is overthinking instead of trusting feel. Most players with poor distance control on the greens think too much about technique, not enough about touch. They have so many tips floating around in their heads that they can't feel the proper action and ingrain a good motion into their muscle memory.
🎯 Distance Control Mistake Prevention
- ⭐ Focus on sweet spot contact before worrying about stroke mechanics
- ⭐ Develop one consistent pre-putt routine you trust
- ⭐ Practice with purpose rather than just hitting balls
How Can You Practice Distance Control at Home?
You don't need a perfect practice green to develop better distance control. Although you can practice some golf putting drills at home, it's easiest to go to a practice green and work on these. When you have more room to work with, you can develop better control and speed awareness from short and long distances.
But there's more.
Even limited home practice can be incredibly valuable. The key is focusing on stroke mechanics and tempo rather than trying to judge actual distances. Use the three-tee tempo drill in your living room or hallway to groove consistent stroke length.
Practice putting mats can also help you work on contact and stroke path when you can't make it to the course.
Why does this work so well?
Muscle memory development doesn't require perfect conditions. The first putt is a small tick-tock, then you want to keep that tempo and just lengthen it back and through each time until all four balls have gone.
When Should You Focus on Distance Control vs Line?
Understanding when to prioritize distance control over line reading transformed my putting strategy. One of the great putting books of all time from Dave Stockton discusses this concept further. His contention is that on longer putts your line is not nearly as important as your speed, which I agree with.
The statistics support this approach. At 20 feet, a 90's shooter isn't half as good as a scratch golfer, but the difference between a scratch player and a tour pro is a mere 1 percent.
What this means for weekend golfers like us is that getting distance control right gives you the biggest improvement potential. When you get outside of 10 feet your chances of making putts dramatically falls. This is exactly why focusing on your speed from these distances is crucial.
How will you benefit?
By understanding that lag putting work from 20 feet and in is basically a waste of time for the tour pro and scratch player. The idea of lag putting for 90's shooters should begin at 20-to-25 feet, you can focus your practice time more effectively.
The key is accepting that your goal from long range should be getting close, not holing out. This mindset shift eliminates the pressure that causes most distance control failures.
🎯 When to Prioritize Distance Control
- ⭐ Any putt outside 15 feet: Speed is more important than perfect line
- ⭐ Fast or slow greens: Distance control becomes even more critical
- ⭐ Breaking putts: Proper speed allows the ball to take the break naturally
What Practice Routine Builds Distance Control Fastest?
After experimenting with countless practice routines, I've found the most effective approach combines systematic skill building with feel development. The key is structured repetition that builds confidence.
Start every practice session with tempo work using the three-tee drill. If you're steady with your tempo and the length of your takeaway and follow-through, you'll immediately start to see a lot of consistency in the length of your putts.
Then move to distance-specific practice. When I coach putting drills for distance control, my goal is to help you get your ball to the hole or two feet past every time, explains Ali Orchard.
And we don't stop there...
Advanced distance control comes from challenging yourself under pressure. This drill will help turn your three-putts into two-putts — with the occasional long one finding the hole when you consistently practice Dave Pelz's systematic approach.
My Recommended 30-Minute Distance Control Session:
- Minutes 1-5: Three-tee tempo drill to establish rhythm
- Minutes 6-15: Ladder drill progression from 10-30 feet
- Minutes 16-25: Dave Pelz 20-foot drill for confidence building
- Minutes 26-30: Pressure putting with leapfrog drill
🎯 Progressive Distance Control Mastery
- ⭐ Week 1-2: Focus on consistent tempo and contact
- ⭐ Week 3-4: Add systematic distance progression drills
- ⭐ Week 5+: Incorporate pressure situations and feel-based practice
Key Takeaways for Better Putting Distance Control
Through my journey from frustrated three-putter to confident lag putter, I've learned that distance control is a skill that can be systematically developed. The secret isn't hitting putts harder or softer – it's building consistent stroke mechanics and developing reliable feel through focused practice.
The most important insight is that distance control in the short game and putting is 3 times more important than direction. This means your practice time should reflect this priority.
Start with the foundational drills like the ladder drill and three-tee tempo work, then progress to more advanced feel-based exercises. Remember that great putters are made, not born, according to Dave Pelz's research.
Focus on striking the sweet spot consistently, maintaining the same tempo for all putts, and developing a systematic approach to stroke length. With dedicated practice using these proven drills, you'll develop the distance control that separates confident putters from golfers who fear long putts.
Most importantly, be patient with the process. Distance control is about building feel and muscle memory, which takes time but pays dividends in lower scores and increased confidence on the greens.
How Do I Know If My Distance Control Is Improving?
The best way to measure distance control improvement is through simple statistics tracking during your practice sessions and rounds. The 15+ handicapper averages 3.2 three-putts each round – a rate that's exactly double that of a 1-to-5 handicap player's 1.6 average.
Track your three-putt frequency over several rounds to establish a baseline, then monitor improvement as you incorporate these distance control drills into your practice routine.
What's the Ideal Putting Practice Schedule?
For weekend golfers, consistency trumps quantity. 20 minutes is long enough for right before a round, but for skill development, aim for 2-3 focused practice sessions per week of 30 minutes each.
The key is structured practice with specific goals rather than just hitting balls randomly on the practice green.
Should Beginners Focus on Distance Control or Alignment First?
New golfers should develop both skills simultaneously, but putting distance control is the most important skill to have according to putting research. Start with basic alignment fundamentals, then spend most of your practice time on distance control drills.
How Does Green Speed Affect Distance Control Practice?
Different green speeds require adjustment in stroke length while maintaining the same tempo. You can use the ladder drill as you warm up to play. All too often when faced with being rushed to the tee box, we fail to gain an understanding of the speed of the greens you'll play.
Always spend 5-10 minutes before your round getting familiar with the green speed using distance control drills.
Can Distance Control Drills Help with Short Putts Too?
Absolutely. Choose a straight, uphill putt. Place a tee into the back of the hole so it is still sticking out 2cm of the cup. Set up 1m away from the hole. Your goal is to hit the tee with your ball rather than letting the ball drop in the middle or front of the cup.
This precision drill builds confidence and control that translates to better performance from all distances.
Related Putting Techniques and Training Resources
Mastering distance control is just one part of becoming a complete putter. To further develop your putting skills, explore these related techniques:
Essential putting tips for beginners covers the fundamentals every weekend golfer needs to know. Learn proper setup, grip, and alignment basics that support good distance control.
The best putting mats for home practice help you continue working on these drills when you can't get to the course. Quality practice surfaces make a difference in skill development.
Proven putting training aids can accelerate your improvement by providing immediate feedback on your stroke mechanics and contact quality.
Green reading fundamentals complement distance control skills by helping you understand how slope and grain affect ball speed and direction.
Mental game strategies for putting build the confidence needed to execute distance control skills under pressure during competition.
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Advanced lag putting techniques take your distance control to the next level with strategies used by tour professionals for long-range putts.
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Weekend golfer improvement strategies focus on maximizing limited practice time to see real improvement in putting and other skills.
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Essential golf drills for beginners includes putting exercises that build fundamental skills alongside full swing development.
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Essential golf equipment for beginners includes putter selection advice that supports the distance control techniques covered in this guide.
