Leaderboards 
Become a Member 
Shop 
Trade In quick coaching
Start More Putts On Line: The Simple Lydia Ko Board Drill That Fixes Your Putting Fast
By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on
One of the things I have learned over decades of coaching is that golfers love the idea of a secret. They want the magic move, the hidden tip, or the one thought that suddenly makes putting easy. Most of the time, though, better putting comes from something much simpler. It comes from getting the ball started on the line you intended.
That is why Lydia Ko’s week in Arizona made me think of this drill.
When a player shoots 60, you can be sure a lot of things are working. But when a player of Ko’s caliber gets rolling on the greens, it is usually not because she is doing something flashy. It is because the basics are rock solid. The putter face is under control. The start line is clean. The stroke looks unhurried. Everything about it appears quiet, and quiet is often what great putting looks like.
This is one of my favorite kinds of drills because it strips putting down to one essential skill. It is not complicated. It does not require a high-tech gadget. It simply teaches you to start the golf ball where you are aiming.
What It Is
This is a start-line putting drill using a ruler, yardstick, or narrow alignment board.
You place the ball at one end and roll putts down the surface toward the hole. If the putter face is even slightly open or closed at impact, the ball will not stay on the ruler for long. That gives you immediate, honest feedback.
As a coach, I love drills that tell the truth right away. This one does exactly that.
How It Helps
This drill improves:
- face control at impact
- start line
- centered contact
- confidence on short putts
For many golfers, especially amateurs, the problem with short putts is not reading the green. It is not even always poor pace. It is that the ball never starts where they think it is starting. They aim one place, make a stroke that sends it somewhere else and then blame themselves for not “staying down” or “keeping the head still.”
Sometimes the fix is much more basic than that.
If you can start the ball online more consistently, your putting gets better in a hurry. That means more makes inside 6 feet, fewer frustrating misses and a lot more confidence when the putter is in your hands.
How to Do It
- Find a flat putt of about 4 to 6 feet.
- Lay a ruler, yardstick, narrow alignment board or even just a line on the green aimed at the center of the hole.
- Place a ball at the back end of the ruler.
- Set up normally with your putter face square to the start line.
- Make your regular stroke and try to keep the ball rolling down the ruler as long as possible.
- Hit 10 putts this way.
- Watch the feedback: If the ball falls off the left side early, the face is likely closing. If the ball falls off the right side early, the face is likely opening.
- After 10 reps on the ruler, remove it and hit 10 putts from the same spot, trying to reproduce the same start line.
- One thing I would tell golfers here is not to rush through it. Let the drill work on you a bit. Listen to the sound of the strike. Watch how quickly the ball leaves the ruler when you get careless. You will learn a lot if you pay attention.
Coaching Keys
- Keep your grip pressure light.
- Let your shoulders rock the stroke.
- Do not manipulate the putter with your hands.
- Keep your eyes quiet through impact.
- Hold your finish for a second.
The goal is not to make a longer or prettier stroke. The goal is to make a squarer one.
That is an important distinction. Too many golfers try to fix putting by changing three or four things at once. I would much rather see a player master one simple skill first. Start the ball on line. Once that improves, a lot of other things tend to follow suit.
Handicap-Based Versions
High-handicap golfers
- Start from 3 feet.
- Hit 2 sets of 8 balls.
- Goal: get at least 6 of 8 to stay on the ruler cleanly.
- Focus only on starting the ball straight.
For this player, confidence matters a great deal. Do not turn this into a test you cannot pass. Make it manageable. Build some success. Let the drill teach you what a square face feels like.
Mid-handicap golfers
- Work from 4 to 5 feet.
- Hit 10 putts on the ruler, then 10 putts without it.
- Goal: 7 of 10 clean on the ruler, then 6 of 10 made without it.
- Once that becomes consistent, move back 1 foot.
This is a nice middle ground because it blends training and performance. You get feedback first, then you have to trust it.
Low-handicap golfers
- Work from 5 to 8 feet.
- Hit 5 putts on the ruler, then 10 putts without it.
- Goal: all 5 clean on the ruler, then 7 of 10 made without it.
- Finish by making 3 in a row before leaving.
Better players need pressure. They need a reason to focus. Ending with a must-make stretch helps connect the drill to the golf course.
Why This Drill Fits Lydia Ko’s Week
Ko’s week in Arizona was a reminder that great golf often looks simple when it is done well. That is especially true on the greens. Her putting had the look of a player who was in command of the face, in command of the start line and never fighting the stroke.
That is what makes this such a useful drill for everyday golfers.
It is not fancy. It is not trendy. But it works.
As someone who has spent a large part of his life coaching this game, I can tell you that some of the best drills are the ones that remove the clutter. This one does that. It gives you one job, one piece of feedback and one skill that can immediately help your scoring.
And if your goal is to putt a little more like Lydia Ko, that is a pretty good place to start.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on R.org and his stories on Athlon Sports. To stay updated on his latest work, sign up for his newsletter and visit OneMoreRollGolf.com.
