Top examples of distance control drills for putting that actually work

Real examples of top examples of distance control drills for putting

Let’s skip the theory and start with real examples of distance control drills for putting that golfers at every level actually use. When coaches and tour players talk about the best examples of distance control drills for putting, they’re almost always some variation of these: ladder-style drills, zone drills, and games that add pressure.

You don’t need to copy a tour pro’s entire routine. You just need a few reliable examples of drills you can repeat, track, and gradually make harder.

Ladder drill: The classic example of a distance control builder

If you ask coaches for an example of a simple, effective distance control drill for putting, the ladder drill usually comes up first. It teaches you to change distance without changing your stroke rhythm.

How to set it up

On a practice green:

• Place tees (or coins) at 10, 20, 30, and 40 feet from a hole or a target spot on the green.
• Start at the shortest distance and work your way back.

How to run the drill

Roll three balls from 10 feet, then three from 20, 30, and 40. Your goal is to finish every putt inside a 3-foot circle around the hole. Count how many of the 12 putts finish in that zone.

Once you’re consistently getting 9 or more inside 3 feet, tighten it to a 2-foot circle. This is where the ladder drill becomes one of the best examples of distance control drills for putting: it forces you to control distance without obsessing over mechanics.

Why it works

You’re training your brain to match stroke size and tempo to distance. Research on motor learning shows that variable practice (changing distances, not just repeating one) helps your brain build more reliable movement patterns over time. If you’re curious about how this kind of practice helps skill learning in general, the NIH has a useful overview of motor learning principles here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541049/

Zone drill: Examples of top examples of distance control drills for putting under pressure

The zone drill is a great example of taking your distance control work and adding a bit of pressure. Instead of just “trying to get close,” you’re aiming for a defined scoring area.

Setup

• Pick a straight or slightly breaking putt of about 25–35 feet.
• Using tees, coins, or even alignment sticks, create a “landing zone” that starts 1 foot short of the hole and extends 2 feet past it.

How to run it

Hit 10 putts. A putt only “scores” if it finishes in the zone: not too short, not racing way past. Track your score out of 10. Once you’re regularly scoring 7 or better, shrink the zone by 6 inches on each side.

This is one of the examples of top examples of distance control drills for putting that works both outdoors and indoors. At home, just use tape on the carpet to mark your zone.

Make it more game-like

Turn it into a match against yourself: you only “win” the session if you hit a target score three times in a row. Suddenly, your practice green feels more like the 18th when you need to cozy it up for par.

The “Leapfrog” drill: A fun example of learning feel instead of mechanics

If you like a little creativity, the leapfrog drill is one of the best examples of distance control drills for putting that turns practice into a feel-based game.

Setup

• Drop a ball on the green.
• Hit a putt that goes, say, 15–20 feet.
• Leave that first ball where it stops.

How to play

Now your job is to hit the next ball just past the previous one—no more than 2–3 feet beyond. Keep going until you run out of space or you overshoot by more than the allowed distance.

You can also reverse it: start long and try to land each putt just short of the previous ball without coming up embarrassingly short.

This drill is a real example of how to train your eyes and hands to communicate. You’re not thinking about stroke length or wrist angles—you’re thinking about sending the ball just a little farther or shorter than the last one.

Distance ladder indoors: Examples include hallway and carpet drills

You don’t need a perfect practice green to work on distance control. Some of the best examples of distance control drills for putting happen in a hallway or on a rug.

Carpet ladder drill

• Lay down strips of painter’s tape at 3, 6, 9, and 12 feet.
• Use a putting mat if you have one, but a reasonably smooth carpet works fine.

Hit three balls to each tape line, trying to stop the ball exactly on or just past the line. Track how many times you “hit the line” out of 12 attempts.

Hallway “stop short” drill

• Use the baseboard or a piece of cardboard as your “wall.”
• Your goal is to roll the ball so it stops within 6 inches of the wall without touching it.

This is a simple example of how to sharpen your touch indoors. It’s especially handy in winter or if you live where practice greens are closed part of the year.

For general guidance on safe at-home exercise and how even small, consistent practice sessions can support physical coordination and health, the CDC’s physical activity page is a good resource: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/index.html

The “Fringe Brake” drill: A real example of using the green’s edge to train speed

This one uses the fringe as a built-in safety net.

Setup

• Find a putt of 25–40 feet where the hole is a few feet before the fringe or collar.
• Your first goal: roll the ball so it reaches the hole with enough speed to get there.
• Your second goal: have the ball stop on the fringe or just into it, not way beyond.

By using the fringe as a backstop, you get instant feedback. If the ball rockets into the rough, you know your speed was off. If it dies 5 feet short of the fringe, you know you babied it.

This is one of those underrated examples of top examples of distance control drills for putting that teaches you how greens “slow down” as the grass changes. That awareness carries over to real putts where the hole is near a tier or the edge of a slope.

Clock-face distance drill: Examples include 3, 6, and 9 o’clock stations

You’ve probably seen clock drills for short putts, but you can use the same idea for distance control.

Setup

• Place balls at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock around a hole at 15 feet.
• Do the same at 25 feet.

Instead of just trying to make them, your focus is on leaving every miss inside a 2–3 foot circle. This is a great example of a drill that blends line and speed, because each angle has a slightly different break.

Track how many putts you:

• Make
• Miss but finish inside 2–3 feet
• Miss and leave outside 3 feet

Your goal is to cut down those long, stressful second putts. From a scoring standpoint, distance control is a big contributor to fewer three-putts, which in turn affects overall stress and enjoyment of the game. If you’re interested in how physical activity and lower stress levels support general health, Mayo Clinic has a helpful overview here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469

“Up the ladder, down the ladder”: A pressure example of distance control drills for putting

This is a more advanced version of the ladder, and one of the best examples of distance control drills for putting when you want pressure.

Setup

• Mark distances at 10, 20, 30, and 40 feet.
• Use one ball.

How it works

Start at 10 feet. Your putt must finish inside 2 feet of the hole—make or miss. If it does, you move back to 20 feet, then 30, then 40. Once you reach 40 and succeed, you go back down the ladder: 30, 20, 10.

If you ever leave a putt outside 2 feet, you start back at 10.

This is a strong example of how to bring tournament-style nerves into practice. That “don’t blow it” feeling you get at 40 feet when you’ve worked your way up? That’s the point.

Trend: How modern players train distance control in 2024–2025

If you watch how tour players and serious amateurs practice now, you’ll notice a few 2024–2025 trends that you can borrow:

More games, fewer mindless reps
Players are turning traditional drills into scoring games—like the zone drill or up-and-down ladder—because research in sports psychology shows that practice with clear goals and feedback improves focus and retention. Many of the best examples of distance control drills for putting now look like mini-competitions.

Tech-supported feedback
Apps and inexpensive launch monitors can track face angle and tempo, but even simple tools like a metronome app can help you keep a consistent rhythm while changing stroke length. You don’t need gadgets for the examples of drills in this article, but they can add another layer of feedback if you enjoy data.

Short, frequent sessions
Instead of grinding for two hours once a week, many coaches now recommend 10–20 minute sessions several times per week. That lines up with general behavior-change research showing that habits stick better when they’re small and consistent. Harvard’s health blog often talks about the power of short, regular activity blocks for building long-term habits: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy

How to build a weekly plan using these examples

Now that you’ve seen multiple examples of top examples of distance control drills for putting, here’s how to turn them into a simple weekly routine.

Outdoor session (20–30 minutes)

• Warm-up: 5 minutes of leapfrog drill to wake up your feel.
• Main work: 15 minutes of ladder drill plus clock-face distance drill.
• Pressure finisher: 5–10 minutes of up the ladder, down the ladder. Quit as soon as you “win” the game.

Indoor session (10–15 minutes)

• Carpet ladder drill for 5–8 minutes.
• Hallway “stop short” drill for 5–7 minutes.

If you practice two or three times a week like this, you’ll quickly build a library of real examples of putts your brain knows how to handle. That’s how distance control goes from guesswork to something that feels almost automatic.

FAQ: examples of distance control drills for putting

What are some simple examples of distance control drills for putting for beginners?
Great starter examples include the basic ladder drill (10–40 feet with a 3-foot circle), the carpet ladder drill indoors with tape lines, and the hallway “stop short” drill where you try to stop the ball just short of a wall. These drills are easy to set up, repeatable, and give clear feedback on whether your speed is improving.

Can you give an example of a putting drill that adds pressure to distance control?
The “up the ladder, down the ladder” drill is a perfect example. You move from 10 to 40 feet and back, but you have to keep every putt inside a 2-foot circle or you start over. It mimics the feeling of needing to lag the ball close when a three-putt would really hurt your score.

Do I need special training aids for these examples of distance control drills for putting?
No. Almost all of the best examples in this guide use tees, coins, tape, or a wall. Training aids can be helpful, but they’re optional. What matters more is that you track your results and gradually make the drills a bit harder.

How often should I practice these distance control drills?
If you can fit in two short outdoor sessions and one or two indoor sessions per week, you’ll see progress. Even 10 focused minutes is better than an hour of random putting with no targets or goals.

Are these drills useful for fast and slow greens?
Yes. The same examples of top examples of distance control drills for putting work on different green speeds—you just adjust your stroke size and feel. In fact, using the same drills on different greens is a good way to train your brain to adapt quickly when you play new courses.

If you pick two or three of these examples of distance control drills for putting and actually stick with them for a month, you’ll start to notice a pattern: fewer three-putts, tap-ins instead of knee-knockers, and a lot less stress on long putts. That’s the quiet, satisfying payoff of smart practice.