Short Putts Drill - The Circle of Confidence
Short Putt Benchmark Drill
Putting is where great rounds are either made or broken, and the most reliable place to gain strokes is inside 3 yards. This Putting Benchmark Circle Drill is built around PGA Tour-level performance standards, challenging you to meet specific make percentages from 1, 2, and 3 yards. It simulates the kind of mental and physical pressure you face during real competition—especially from short range.
This exercise demands precision from every angle around the hole, pushing you to develop consistent mechanics, heightened focus, and trust in your routine. Whether you’re training for tournaments or just aiming to lower your handicap, mastering this circle is essential.
Benefits of This Drill
Build Confidence from Key Scoring Range: 50% of the putts you take on the course are from within 3 yards—this is your chance to own that zone.
Reinforces Focus and Discipline: Using specific make-rate goals helps simulate performance pressure and holds you accountable.
Develops All-Angle Proficiency: Practicing from every direction prepares you for the variety of breaks and slopes you'll face on real greens.
Improves Stroke Routine: Repeating your full pre-shot routine locks in consistency under pressure.
Promotes Self-Assessment: Encourages analysis and correction of common putting flaws (speed control, alignment, green reading, or technique).
Putting Benchmark:
10-putt circle from 1 yards - Goal: 90% or 9 putts in
10-putt circle from 2 yards - Goal: 60% or 6 putts in
10-putt circle from 3 yards - Goal: 40% or 4 putts in
What do you improve with this exercise?
50% of the putts you take on the golf course will be from less than 3 yards. This is also a distance where you truly have a good chance to hole the ball at high percentages.
This is a great exercise because it makes you putt from all angles. And having a specific target (PGA Tour percentages) keeps you highly focused.
What do you need?
10 tees
1, 5, or 10 balls (your choice)
Setup and Instructions
Place 10 tees around a hole at the desired distance (1y, 2y, or 3y) forming a circle. The tees will mark your starting positions—where you’ll place the ball.
Putt all 10 balls in a row as if you're in a tournament and try to achieve the target percentage. If you don’t hit the goal, try again—but first, analyze what you can do to improve your previous result.
Tips
Do your full pre-shot routine on every putt.
Breathe slowly.
Let your subconscious stroke the putts—don’t try to control everything.
If the ball didn’t go in, analyze why. The most common causes are:
Poor speed control
Incorrect alignment
Misreading the break
Technical issue
Difficulty Levels
Level 1:
Green speed = Slow
Green slope = Flat
Level 2:
Green speed = Medium
Green slope = Gentle
Pro Level:
Green speed = Fast
Green slope = Steep
Extra Difficulty Options:
Putting with right hand only
Putting with left hand only
Eyes closed
Mixed 1y, 2y & 3y putts in the same circle
Conclusion: Build a Tour-Quality Short Game
This benchmark drill is more than just a putting test—it's a direct path to lower scores. By training with focus, from all angles, and under performance-based goals, you're programming your stroke to thrive when it matters most. Being elite from short range is one of the fastest ways to lower your scores—just like Tour Pros, who built his dominance on a foundation of pressure-tested putting.
Master the circle, and you’ll master the game within the game.