Try this 4-step putting drill to diagnose your woes on the greens

When it comes to improving your putting, you need to practice with a plan. Here’s something I’ve used with a number of students, including Justin Thomas and Nelly Korda. 

Start by finding an eight-foot putt on the practice green with a small amount of break, then follow these four steps. 

1. Using a tape measure (or stepping it off yourself ), place tees at four, five, six, seven and eight feet from the hole.

2. Begin hitting putts, moving around the hole so you never putt in the same direction twice in a row. (You’re going to do this in each of the four directions around the cup, which means you’ll need 20 tees total.)

3. If you make a putt, push the tee into the ground. If you miss it to the left, tilt the tee to the left. If you miss it to the right, tilt the tee to the right. 

4. This will allow you to see, when you finish, if you have a dominant pattern on missed putts. Once you find it, you’ll know what to fix. 

Matt Killen is director of instruction at Troubadour Golf and Field Club in College Grove, Tenn.

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Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF.com, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf.