Short Putts Drill - 1 Foot Challenge
Introduction: Build Trust One Step at a Time
Short putts are where confidence is either built or broken. This 10 Consecutive Putts Challenge from 1 foot is a deceptively simple but mentally demanding drill designed to increase pressure and sharpen your focus. What starts as a routine repetition quickly becomes a mental endurance test, especially as you approach the final few putts.
This drill forces you to value every putt and reinforces the importance of a consistent pre-shot routine. It mimics the emotional stress of real course situations where even the shortest putts matter—just like we see in high-stakes competition.
Benefits of This Training
Mental Resilience: Teaches you to handle rising tension as you progress through the sequence.
Routine Discipline: Emphasizes the value of sticking to your process on every putt.
Increased Reps: Helps you hit a large volume of short putts, sharpening technique and touch.
Focus Under Pressure: Builds the ability to reset mentally after a miss and start again.
Performance Tracking: You'll become aware of patterns in your misses and how to correct them.
What You Need
10 tees
1, 5, or 10 balls (your choice)
Setup and Instructions
Place a tee 1 foot away from the hole.
Place the next tee 1 foot further back in a straight line from the first, and continue until you've placed 10 tees—ending approximately 3 meters (10 feet) from the hole.
Each tee marks a starting point where you’ll place your ball.
Putt one ball from each tee, in order, starting from the closest to the hole.
The goal is to make all 10 putts in a row.
If you miss, start over from tee #1.
Easier version: Begin from the farthest tee and move closer with each putt.
Tips
Perform your full pre-shot routine on every putt.
Breathe slowly to maintain calm and focus.
Let your subconscious control the stroke—don't overthink it.
If a ball misses, analyze the cause:
Poor speed control
Incorrect alignment
Bad read of the break
Technical flaws
Difficulty Levels
Level 1:
Green speed = Slow
Break = Flat
Level 2:
Green speed = Medium
Break = Gentle
Pro Level:
Green speed = Fast
Break = Severe
Extra Challenges:
Putting with only your right hand
Putting with only your left hand
Putting with your eyes closed
Conclusion: Small Distance, Big Gains
This drill teaches you that even the shortest putts carry big weight. The ability to consistently sink short-range putts under pressure can transform your scoring ability and mental game. As PGA Tour Players often demonstrated, dominating short putts can keep a round alive and save par after par.
By completing this challenge regularly, you’ll develop stronger habits, better consistency, and the confidence to trust your stroke—even when everything is on the line.