Here is a great putting drill that can be done without a putting green. All you need is a carpet long enough to roll a ball.

Find three golf balls and drop them on the carpet so they are spread out. You want the balls to be about three to four feet apart. The good thing about this drill is that you do not need a hole in the carpet. All need is a spot to putt to.

The distance you want to work on with this drill is about four feet. Now putt the first ball the four foot distance. The important part of this drill is distance control.

The rest of the drill consist of putting the other balls so they hit the first ball. You may want to repeat this drill to get the feel for the distance and the feel of the stroke to move the ball this distance.

To expand this drill perform the same steps for putts distance six feet to twelve feet.

Here is another variation. Putt the first ball and hit the ball place on the carpet. Now putt the second ball so it hits the first ball. Then putt the third ball to hit the fourth ball. You can also use a putting mat to perform this drill.

We all have missed those easy 6 to 8 foot putts and wondered: “How did I miss that one?” Well, John Brenkus, host of “ESPN Sports Science,” explains why in this video.

You may think you know all about what Brenkus is going say, but it’s still fascinating to listen to him analyze those fast greens at Augusta National Golf Course. He discusses what determines whether a putt is makeable:

• Impact speed on the back of the cup. If your putt crosses over the center of the hole, the fastest the golf ball can roll and still go into the cup is 3.64 mph. If it travels faster it will jump off the back of the hole as move past the hole.
• Impact parameter. The farther away from the center of the hole that a putt crosses the cup, the slower it must travel to go in. It can not travel faster than  – 2.7 mph.

It is very surprising is to learn how uphill putts, which we all want, will move away from the hole when mishit. Based on Brenkus’s discussion we should welcome downhill putts which move toward the hole even when they are mishit? Check it out the video.

Remember to practice your putting at home on a putting mat.