Putting Distance Control Drill

PGA professional Mark Crossfield introduces two powerful drills designed to improve putting distance control. By practicing with eyes closed, golfers can better internalize the pace of their stroke, while the corner-to-corner competitive drill builds the pressure needed to eliminate three-putts on the course.

• Distance control is a feel-based skill that requires a mental 'database' of past strokes.
• Closing your eyes during putting removes visual distractions and forces you to rely on internal feel for stroke pace.
• Visualizing the distance and imprinting that image in your mind before the stroke is critical for consistency.
• Practicing long (40ft+) corner-to-corner putts helps master both lag putting and short pressure tap-ins.
• Gamifying practice by resetting your score to zero when you miss a two-putt builds essential on-course mental pressure.

Go deeper

• Eyes Closed Putting Drill — Every coach who teaches it
• Off the rails — Causes, drills and coaches for this miss
• Distance control — The lesson, across every coach
• AskGolfGuru — Every video, sorted by what it teaches