How a metal yardstick can help improve your putting

One of my favorite training tools is a metal yardstick — it’s a staple in my teaching tool kit.

A yardstick can be used in a multiple ways to improve your game, and is widely available for purchase at any hardware store. One of my favorite ways to use the yardstick is on the putting green, where is comes in handy not only for nailing your ball position and alignment, but also your posture.

As you can see in the photo below, using the yardstick helps me ensure that alignment is sound, and my eyes are directly over the inside of the ball. I prefer the eyes to be over the inside half of the ball as opposed to right on top of the ball because it allows me to see the straight line and swing the putter on the correct path to get the ball started on the correct line.  

This practice drill is also useful because once you set it up, you can practice with intent. Here’s how.

Metal yardstick putting drill

1.  Get the putter face square (straight) perpendicular to the line. Put the putter’s leading edge on the front edge of the yardstick and the ball on the grass in front of the yardstick in the center of the putter face. Roll a few putts and notice they all roll in the same direction. This is important because this is something that we can control.  

2.  Once you are comfortable with a square putter face, you can now add a ball marker placed a foot in front of the ball, make a nice stroke and roll the ball over the ball marker. As you become comfortable with this step, move the ball marker to two feet out, and roll the ball over the ball marker again. This is useful practice because the more we train ourselves to start putts on our intended line with a great stroke, the more putts we will ultimately make.

This drill will help you set up with a square face to the intended start line of your putt and also get the ball rolling over a spot on your intended line. Incorporate this drill into your practice putting routine and enjoy not only making more putts, but also shooting lower scores.

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