Putting · Drill
Keep Your Eyes on a Coin for Short Putts
Part of our putting programs for missing short putts, start line. Build a program with it
Many short putts miss because your head and eyes move early to see the result. Give your eyes a tiny target. Put a coin on the green and set the ball on top of it. Putt from three feet. Keep looking at the coin after the ball leaves. Count to one before you look up. It keeps the face steady through impact. Then move back to four and five feet.
The drill
- Set the ball on a coin.
- Putt from three feet.
- Keep your eyes on the coin after impact.
- Count one before looking up.
- Move back to four and five feet.
Why it works
When your head turns early to follow the ball, your shoulders tend to turn with it. That pulls the putter face off line right at impact. A small, fixed target for your eyes keeps your head still while the stroke finishes. A still head helps the shoulders and putter move together, so the face stays square through the ball.
Common mistakes
- You look up as soon as you feel contact.Stay on the coin and count one in your head before you lift your eyes.
- You stare at the ball instead of the coin spot where it sat.Pick the coin's edge as your focus point before you start the stroke and keep your eyes there.
- You hold your head so stiff that your shoulders and arms tense up.Keep your grip pressure light and let the stroke swing while only your head stays quiet.
How you'll know it's working
- You can still see the coin clearly after the ball has left.
- The ball starts on your chosen line on most of your three-foot putts.
- Contact feels the same each time, with no pushed or pulled putts caused by a turning chest.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Stay at two or three feet and use a larger coin until you can keep your eyes down on every putt.
Harder: Move back past five feet, or make your putts without looking up until you hear the ball drop or stop.
Common questions
Why do I look up too early when I putt?
Most golfers want to see whether the ball is going in. That urge pulls the head and shoulders up before the stroke is done, so training your eyes to stay down helps.
How long should I keep my eyes down after hitting a putt?
Keep them down until the ball is clearly gone from the spot. A count of one is enough for this drill, and you can hold longer if you like.
