As the saying goes, “Drive for show, putt for dough.”
Putting can make or break a round. Turn a few three-putts into two-putts and your score starts looking a whole lot better. Sink one or two more putts inside three feet and those bogeys can become pars.
We all know this. So why do most amateur golfers spend more time hitting drivers and irons than practicing their putting?
Because putting practice is boring. Full stop.
Hitting driver is fun. Watching an iron shot fly through the air is fun. Even working on your wedges gives you different distances and shot types to play around with. Putting practice usually means standing over the same three-footer and hitting it again and again.
How many amateur golfers do you know who genuinely look forward to doing that?
How do you get better at putting?
The short answer is consistent, deliberate practice.
There are no tricks or shortcuts. Like any skill, putting improves through repetition. You do not have to spend hours on the practice green every day, but you do need to pick up your putter regularly. Even a few minutes at a time can add up over a season.
None of this advice is new. Most golfers already know they should practice more.
The real problem is sticking with it.
Unless golf is your livelihood or you compete at a high level, it can be difficult to motivate yourself to work through repetitive putting drills. You might try a drill you found online, enjoy it for a day or two, and then stop doing it.
The question isn’t only, “How do I get better at putting?”
It’s also, “How do I make myself want to practice?”
Stop practicing and start playing
Most golfers would rather play golf than practice golf. That is why one of the easiest ways to spend more time putting is to turn practice into a game.
A game gives every putt a purpose. You might be trying to beat your best score, complete a challenge, or take down a friend. Add a little competition and suddenly that same three-foot putt feels different.
Games also create pressure. Making five putts in a row is one thing. Standing over the final putt you need to win is another. You still get the repetition, but now there is a reason to care about each attempt.
You start by hitting a few putts. The next thing you know, you’ve been playing for 45 minutes without realizing it.
That is the kind of practice you are much more likely to repeat.
Why we built the 9Putt Mat
We built the 9Putt Mat because we were in the same position as a lot of amateur golfers. We wanted to become better putters, but we couldn’t find a putting mat that kept us coming back.
Most mats gave us a line and a hole. They worked, but they still felt like practice.
We wanted something different. We wanted a putting surface that made it easy to create games, compete with friends, and challenge ourselves without needing a pile of training equipment.
That idea became the 9Putt Mat.
The mat has nine progressively smaller holes, so the challenge becomes more difficult as you move across it. You can play alone, compete head-to-head, track a personal best, or make up your own game.
We didn’t set out to make putting practice more serious. We wanted to make it more fun so golfers would actually do it.
One mat, plenty of ways to play
There is no single correct way to use the 9Putt Mat. That is part of what makes it different.
You can play with friends, family members, teammates, or coworkers. You can race against the clock, play a putting version of HORSE, or see how far you can make it through all nine holes without missing.
Practicing alone? Keep track of your best score and try to beat it. You can also change your starting distance, alter the scoring, or putt to the holes in a different order.
You do not have to follow our rules, either. Make up your own games and adjust them to your skill level. The mat gives you the surface and the targets. What you do with them is up to you.
No matter which game you choose, you are still spending time over your putter. You are working on your stroke, starting the ball on line, and repeating short putts. The difference is that you are focused on the game instead of thinking about how long you have been practicing.
Putting games to try at home
Need somewhere to start? Our How to Play includes several games and challenges you can try on the 9Putt Mat:
- The 9Putt Challenge
- HORSE
- Perfect 45
- Sprint
- Around the World
Play them as written, change the rules, or use them as inspiration to create your own.
Putting practice does not have to feel like a chore. Add a score, a challenge, or another player and it becomes something you might actually want to keep doing.
If you want to spend more time putting this season without making practice feel like practice, bring home the Original 9Putt Mat and start playing.