The Ladder Drill
Three-putts caused by distance control, not by missing the line.
Set up
Place three tees at 15, 30, and 45 feet from a single starting spot.
The reps
Putt to each distance in turn, then back down the ladder. 3 laps. Score a point for every putt that finishes within a putter-length.
How you know it's working
8 of 9 finish inside the putter-length circle. Distance, not direction, is the goal.
Why it works
Nearly every three-putt starts with a first putt left well short or blown past. Owning pace from three distances removes the 8-footers you keep leaving yourself.
The evidence
Shot Scope data shows a 15-handicap three-putts roughly every 10 holes — about 1.7 wasted strokes per round from pace alone. Cycling distances (instead of hitting the same putt 20 times) is random practice, which motor-learning studies show transfers to the course far better than block practice.
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