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See the Line. Picture the Roll. Commit.
Your practice at a glance
These golf drills are from the Golf Practice Made Fun App.
A clear putting line helps you make a confident decision before you step over the ball.
Use the Justin Rose Putter Sword Drill to make your chosen starting direction visible, Reading Greens Using Rulers to picture the curve, and the Brad Faxon Green Reading Drill to commit to fresh reads. Complete eighteen read-and-putt routines in each drill, following the guide and no-guide formats below. Your starting direction is where the ball leaves the putter; its curved route also depends on slope and pace. Check all three before deciding a miss means the read was wrong.
Drill 1. Justin Rose Putter Sword: See Your Starting Direction
Raising the shaft gives you a visible reference for a decision that can otherwise feel vague. It helps you connect your chosen starting direction with the curved roll you expect, so you can step in with a clearer plan. The shaft visualises your read; it does not calculate the break.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Choose a gently breaking putt. Read the slope from behind the ball and the low side, then decide on your pace and starting direction. Return behind the ball before using the putter as a reference. |
| 2 | Hold the grip in front of you and raise the shaft diagonally forwards in the sword position. Use it to picture the direction you want the ball to start, then imagine the ball curving towards the cup. Lower the club and aim the face along that starting direction. |
| 3 | Roll one ball and watch its start, pace and curve. Complete eighteen full read-and-putt routines in two sets of nine: the first nine from one gently breaking position, then nine on a different slope or distance. Give each putt a fresh routine. |
Explore the full Justin Rose Putter Sword Drill and demonstration →
Drill 2. Reading Greens Using Rulers: Make the Curve Visible
Laying out a read makes the difference between a starting direction and a curved route easier to understand. Comparing your picture with the actual roll helps you connect line with pace. Removing the guides afterwards lets you practise holding that picture in your imagination.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Choose a gentle breaking putt roughly fifteen to twenty feet from a practice hole. Read from behind the ball and the low side. Decide the starting direction and pace, then lay rulers end to end along your initial aiming direction. |
| 2 | Use a flat disc beside the part of the route where you expect the curve to be most noticeable, and more rulers to suggest the remaining route. Treat the disc as a visual reference, rather than an exact turning point. Move all guides clear of the ball’s path before putting. |
| 3 | Complete eighteen read-and-putt routines. For the first nine, use the layout to picture the roll, keeping the equipment clear and adjusting from feedback. For the second nine, remove the rulers and disc and putt from fresh positions. Check start direction, pace and curve. |
Explore the full Reading Greens Using Rulers and demonstration →
Drill 3. Brad Faxon Green Reading: Choose, Commit and Move On
Moving after every putt makes you practise the read as well as the stroke. You have to notice the slope, choose a line and pace, and commit to a fresh decision. Reviewing the roll gives useful feedback without assuming every miss came from a poor read.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Take one ball to a quiet practice hole and choose a putt roughly twenty feet away. Notice the high and low sides as you approach. Look from behind the ball, then from the low side near the middle of the ball-to-hole line. Where grain is visible, consider it alongside the slope. |
| 2 | Return behind the ball and choose the starting direction and pace. A line on the ball is optional. Picture the ball rolling along your chosen route, step into address and commit to the stroke. If you change your mind over the ball, step back and make the decision again. |
| 3 | Check starting direction, pace and curve, then move to a fresh position. Complete eighteen reads and putts: nine from different positions around one hole, then nine at another hole or across a different mix of slopes. Aim for a well-read roll that leaves a manageable next putt. |
Explore the full Brad Faxon Green Reading Drill and demonstration →
