“I have a tip that can take 5 strokes off anyone’s golf game. It’s called an eraser!” - Arnold Palmer

Joking aside, even The King knows the quickest way to lower your golf score is by improving your putting. It’s no coincidence that some of the best golfers in the business are also some of the best putters. Case in point: Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler.

Take a hint from the pros: spending time on the practice green is the secret to playing better golf. Take a hint from 18Birdies: practice should be fun! Here are some of the best putting drills and putting games you can play at the course by yourself or with a friend.

Around the World

https://www.youtube.com/embed/b-P-m0_Fkak This fun, around the world putting game, is one of the best ways to improve your short putting. Pick a hole on the putting green and create five stations around it, setting up golf balls in a row at two-, three-, four-, five- and six-feet away. The goal is to make as many putts as you can while going through your normal routine. To take this game one step further, create five stations at five different holes to avoid memorizing the break.

7 Up

7 Up is a fun putting game to play with a friend. Head to the practice green and pick two holes at any distance apart. With you at one hole and your friend at the other, the goal is to make seven putts before your opponent does. Two rules to follow: 1) try to putt at the same time and 2) you must win by two. Once you finish, find two new holes or swap sides and start a new game. Make it interesting and throw down a bet or two; the first round at the 19th hole sounds like a good wager to us.

Tic Tac Toe

Is improving your distance control and feel a top priority? We have the drill for you! You’ll need a friend and some string for this fun putting game. To play, cut four lengths of string roughly four to seven feet in length, and lay them out in a tic-tac-toe grid. Each player needs three golf balls; ideally player one uses three colored golf balls and player two sticks with three white golf balls (it’s much easier to tell whose is whose that way). Flip a coin to see who goes first, then, standing at approximately 5 feet from the grid, take turns trying to putt your ball inside one of the squares. The first player to line up three balls in three squares in a row wins. If you don’t have access to the practice putting green, don’t worry! This putting game can easily be played on a short carpet at home, an excellent rainy day game with the kids.

Time to improve your putting and watch your score drop! Check out the 18Birdies app for even more tips and golf instruction to help with your game!