05 November 2026
Putting can be tricky. But, according to specialist putting coach and PGA Professional James Jankowski, improving your play on the greens doesn’t have to be complicated at all.
He believes golfers should focus on five key areas - the strike, start line, speed control, rhythm and green reading – to help hole more putts.
Here are five simple drills that can help you do just that, and to perfect each of these areas.
Key takeaways:
- Posture: Stand relaxed, lean slightly forward and rock your shoulders so the arms swing freely. No putter needed.
- Start line: Roll the ball through two tee gates along a 12-inch chalk line to strike from the middle of the face.
- Rhythm: Take continuous practice swings, focusing on tempo rather than power.
- Speed control: Putt up and down a slope between tees 24 feet apart, then increase the distance.
- Green reading: Set a tee gate where you expect a breaking putt to travel, then roll the ball through it and into the hole.
2. Posture
Before worrying about holing putts, golfers should first learn how a good putting motion feels.
You won’t need a putter for this drill. Simply stand naturally, relax forward slightly and allow your arms to hang freely.
From there, you should practice gently rocking your shoulders while allowing the arms to swing naturally. The aim here is to develop a smoother action and prevent any tension.
2. Start line
Using tees, create a small gate just wider than your putter head. The putter should be able to swing through without clipping either tee.
Next, draw a straight chalk line on the green around 12 inches long towards the hole. At the end of that line, place another gate using two tees set roughly the width of a credit card apart.
The idea is to swing the putter cleanly through the gate setting the ball down the chalk line to roll through the second gate.
Doing so will mean you are striking the ball from the middle of the face.
3. Rhythm
Many golfers try to hit putts instead of allowing the club to swing naturally. To help stop this, it’s important to take a number of practice swings in a row without stopping.
The key is to focus on the rhythm and tempo of movement, rather than trying to hit the ball too hard.
This will help to gage the pace of putts better to make sure the ball gets to the hole and doesn’t power through any break.
4. Speed Control
Added to that, this uphill and downhill speed drill helps golfers to adapt to differing slopes.
Place one tee at the bottom of a slope and another at the top, roughly 24-feet apart. Start by putting downhill from one tee to the other, then hit the next putt back uphill.
Continue to move the tees further apart and repeat the process from various distances.
5. Green Reading
Most golfers are better at reading greens than they think.
But to sharpen this skill, choose a breaking putt and mark the starting position. Then place two tees to create a gate where you believe the ball will go.
The more break the putt has, the wider the gate can be.
The challenge is to start the ball on the correct line with the correct speed, so it rolls through the gate and finishes in the hole.
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