PGA Tour Player: This is how I train myself to hit the sweetspot every time

PGA Tour player Michael Kim explains his key to hitting the sweetspot during his putting stroke…

My putter is probably my favorite club in the bag. I’m very particular about the look and feel of my flatstick, so when I find one that I like (I’m currently using a Scotty Cameron GSS 350), I make sure to practice a lot and treat it right.

My main goal when I train is to groove a stroke that consistently contacts the ball in the center of my putter’s sweet spot. It’s the only way to consistently control distance, because the ball can come off with unpredictable amounts of force when you strike it out toward the heel or toe. I set up a gate on the putting green, just barely wider than the width of my putterhead. (I use actual gates; Tiger uses two tees, and I’ve seen some people use coins. Anything that can act as a boundary works.)

The goal is to roll putts without contacting the gates, which ensures that you’re making consistent contact on the sweet spot.

Without thought, the gates automatically groove the ideal putting path.I’ll hit a few short putts through the gate, then set up on the other side of the hole to practice the opposing break. You can also hit long putts using this drill, but that takes some practice. Most of the time, I’m focusing on the short putts. I use this drill a lot before I go out on the course, because it doesn’t take very long to set up, and after just a few strokes I know my stroke is in a place where I want it. — Michael Kim, PGA Tour player