Dist. Control Drill - The Long Range Circle
Introduction: Eliminate costly three-putts
Long putts can make or break your round. While you won’t sink many, leaving them close is critical for two-putting and maintaining momentum. This drill helps you dial in your distance control from 8 to 20 meters by challenging you to land multiple putts inside a defined scoring circle. With increased feel and better judgment of pace, you’ll stop leaving those stressful 5-foot comebackers.
Benefits of This Training
Builds long-range speed control and touch
Reduces three-putts and pressure on second putts
Trains your ability to adapt to different green conditions
Improves green-reading and awareness of pace factors
Boosts focus and patience on high-rep, pressure-based practice
What You Need:
15 tees
5 golf balls
Setup & Instructions:
Use tees to create a circle around the hole with a radius of one putter length (leave a small gap in the tee circle to allow for a clean entry into the hole).
Set up 4 starting tees at distances of 8, 12, 16, and 20 meters.
From each distance, your goal is to roll 3, 4, or 5 balls (depending on your skill level) so they finish inside the circle.
Start from tee 1 and only move to the next tee after completing the goal.
Bonus Rule: If you hole a putt, you earn a “life”—a free pass if one ball later misses the circle.
What Does This Drill Improve?
This drill sharpens your distance control on long putts, teaching you how to roll the ball closer and reduce three-putts. It also builds your confidence from long range, so you feel in command of your pace rather than guessing.
Tips:
Control distance with backswing length, not by changing tempo.
Be mindful of factors that affect pace:
Slopes
Green moisture
Surface condition
Grain direction
Color differences in the grass
After each miss, ask: "Why did it miss?" That reflection builds your green-reading and strategic awareness.
Difficulty Levels:
Level 1: Slow green, flat surface
Level 2: Medium speed, light break
Pro Level: Fast greens, heavy slope
To increase challenge: Alternate starting tees instead of progressing in order (tee 1 → tee 3 → tee 2 → tee 4).
Conclusion
The Long-Range Circle Drill is your secret weapon for eliminating careless long putt mistakes. It’s a training test that rewards control, not luck—and when you master it, you’ll start seeing your lag putting turn into a real scoring advantage. Every roll counts, and now you’ll be ready for all of them.