Pro Tips
How to Sink More Putts
Learn How To Increase Your Percentages
by Gianna Augustine, PGA
Let’ s play out a scenario you have probably faced on the course— it’ s a beautiful day, you’ re enjoying golf with your friends or even playing in a heated competition! You’ ve found your way onto the green in regulation, and you’ re staring down a 30-footer for birdie. The thoughts of circling your score on your card are so exciting. It’ s finally your turn to putt and that beloved birdie putt comes up 6 feet short( or goes by the hole 6 feet). Have you been there? I certainly have. Now, we’ re grinding just to save par!
Here Are Three Drills to Practice
First, make 25 putts from 5 feet drill.( Photo 1 below)
Photo 1
Statistically speaking, a PGA TOUR player has a 60 % chance of draining a 6-footer. If you’ re like me, I am definitely not practicing as much as that PGA / LPGA tour player, meaning my chances are significantly less.
Putting percentages on tour are a common misconception. I hear my students say,“ It seems like 10-footers for tour players go in every time. But read the table below and see just how often the percentage of putts are dropping for PGA TOUR players.
Putting distance
One putt Putt percentage Percentage on PGA on PGA Tour TOUR 5 feet 76 %
7 feet 56 % 10 feet 38 %
20 feet 15 % 30 feet 7 %
Data from Potters Putting, 2019
Marcus Marcus Potters,, PGA Tour PGA TOUR Putting
Coach Putting Coach
So what can we do to help our chances and become better“ realistic” putters?
26 JULY 2026 TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE
This one is simple, make 25 putts from 5 feet in a row. While this seems mundane, try it— it is much harder than it sounds. The adrenaline I get once I get to that 23rd putt in a row really mimics the feelings while on the course. The pressure is on to make the 25th putt. This is a true“ practice like you play drill.”