Drill library · Short game

The Tee Gate

Short gameHandicap 25 or better10 minblock workputting

Why this drill

Every putt that matters starts on line or it never had a chance. Two tees barely wider than the ball, a pace in front of you, tell the truth about your start line on every single roll — instant, binary feedback no video can match.

Setup

A flat six-to-eight-foot putt. Push two tees into the green one putter-grip-length in front of your ball position, forming a gate a ball-width plus a finger on each side. Line the gate up at the hole, or at a tee if no flat hole is free.

The drill

Roll ten putts through the gate, full stroke, watching nothing but the gate — the hole is downstream of your job. Count clean passes; a clicked tee is a miss. Eight of ten is a dependable start line. Then ten more with your eyes closed after contact, calling "through" or "caught" before you look. When the calls match reality, your face awareness has caught up with your stroke.

One thought to take with you

Your job ends at the gate — start it on line and the read does the rest.