One of the fastest ways to lower your golf score is by improving your putting alignment. While long drives and accurate iron shots are great, what truly separates good golfers from great ones is their ability to putt efficiently. If you’re constantly struggling with missed putts, three-putting, or poor alignment, it’s time to make some adjustments.

In this tutorial, we will outline important putting alignment tips, ideal putting alignment practice, and how golf flat balls can help you two putt or less on all the holes.

Why Putting Alignment is Important

Line alignment is the foundation of a well-executed putting stroke. If your putter face is even slightly open or closed at impact, your ball will start off-line, and it will be much harder to make putts consistently. Line alignment with putting ensures:

✔️ Your putter face square at impact.

✔️ You're on target.

✔️ Your ball breaks on the right line.

✔️ You shave unnecessary strokes and finish with more two putts or better.

Common Putting Alignment Errors

Before attempting to drill, let's point out some common errors that lead to misalignment:

1. Wrong Eye Position – Your eyes need to be in line directly above the ball for an unobstructed view.

2. Misaligned Feet & Shoulders – Most golfers innocently line up a little left or right of their intended spot.

3. Bad Putter Face Alignment – Even a 1-degree misalignment at impact can lead to missed putts.

4. Inconsistent Ball Position – When the ball is positioned too far forward or backward, it affects stroke consistency.

5. Not Committing to a Target Line – Questioning your line will result in hesitation and subpar execution.

If you catch yourself committing any of these errors, don't worry—there are simple drills that can rectify them!

The Best Putting Alignment Drills

To fix your putting alignment in a hurry, include these putting alignment drills in your practice routine. These drills focus on aligning properly, building your stroke, and establishing repeatable consistency.

1. The Gate Drill for Putter Face Control

This drill ensures that your putter face is square at impact to prevent off-line putts.

How to Perform the Gate Drill:

•Place two tees somewhat wider than your golf ball used for putting six inches in front of the ball.

•Line up your putter and hit the ball through the gate without contacting the tees.

•If you hit a tee, reset your stroke and alignment.

✅ Why It Works: This drill forces you to align correctly and teaches a consistent stroke path.

2. The String Line Drill for Straight Putts

This drill visually verifies what an aligned putt is supposed to look like.

How to Perform the String Line Drill:

• Place a string between two sticks suspended above your target line.

• Place a flat golf ball under the string.

• Align your putter face to the string and practice stroking the ball along the line.

✅ Why It Works: This drill eliminates doubts and instructs your eyes on what alignment is.

3. Mirror Drill for Correct Eye and Shoulder Alignment

Aligned head, eyes, and shoulders can ruin even the perfect stroke. The drill ensures right positioning.

Steps to Do the Mirror Drill:

• Place a putting alignment mirror on the ground.

• Place a putting golf ball in the center of the mirror.

• Set up correctly so that your eyes are positioned directly above the ball, and your shoulders should be parallel to your target line.

• Stroke putts from this position.

✅ Why It Works: This practice eliminates misalignment caused by incorrect setup.

4. The Coin Drill for Stroke Accuracy

When you are struggling with mis-hits or poor roll, this drill habituates accurate contact.

How to Do the Coin Drill:

•Place a coin two feet in front of your ball.

•Try to roll the ball just over the coin, with smooth stroke.

•Make correction if the ball goes off-line and wobbles, or misses the coin.

✅ Why It Works: The Coin Drill enhances contact accuracy and alignment precision.

5. The Two-Putt Control Drill

The final goal of putting alignment practice is two-putting every hole regularly. This drill teaches speed and alignment control.

How to Do the Two-Putt Drill:

• Place three golf balls at different distances (10, 20, and 30 feet) from the hole.

• Your goal is to two putt on all attempts. The first putt has to come to rest in 3 feet of the hole.

• If your first putt goes past the target zone, repeat the drill.

✅ Why It Works: Lag putting is critical to avoiding three-putts and to overall alignment and control.

Bonus Tips to Maximize Your Putting Alignment

✅ 1. Use Golf Flat Balls for Instant Feedback

Flat hitting golf balls enhance stroke flaws, forcing proper alignment. When the ball wobbles, your stroke is not in alignment.

✅ 2. Create a Consistent Pre-Putt Routine

Standing back before every putt, envision the line, align the putter, and stroke smoothly without hesitation.

✅ 3. Play More Break Than You Think

The majority of amateur golfers under-read breaks. Align properly to play the right break rather than shooting straight into the hole.

✅ 4. Do 5-Minute Putting Alignment Drills Prior to Every Round

Don't just swing at random putts, spend 5 minutes on putting alignment drills prior to starting. This builds good habits.

Last Word: Correct Your Putting Alignment Today

If you're sick of missing simple putts, it's time to correct your alignment and reduce your scores quickly. Regular practice with putting alignment drills will build consistency, confidence, and accuracy on the greens.

Key Takeaways:

✔ Proper alignment prevents unnecessary missed putts.

✔ Drills like the Gate Drill and String Line Drill train stroke accuracy.

✔ Using flat putting golf balls enhances feedback and alignment skills.

✔ The Two-Putt Control Drill helps eliminate three-putts.

By integrating these drills into your routine, you’ll improve putting stroke accuracy, build confidence, and start rolling putts like a pro.

Ready to take your putting game to the next level? Start practicing these drills today and see real results!

Get the Best Putting Alignment Tools

Ready to take your training to the next level? Take a look at our TPP Putting Alignment Set, complete with flat putting golf balls and a 2-month guided training program to optimize your putting accuracy and control.

Purchase now and begin lowering your scores today!