Missing short putts is a confidence killer for every golfer. The culprit is usually technical breakdown: a head that lifts, shoulders that open, and a putter face that fails to stay square. You can fix this with a simple, powerful drill using just two coins from your pocket. It’s designed to build a rock-solid stroke and unshakable confidence before you reach the first green.
The Setup: (see pic 1 ^)
- On the practise green look for an area that is dead- flat/ has no break between two points that are four-feet apart.
- Place one coin on the ground. This is your target coin.
- Position another coin onto the green so that it is exactly 4 feet away from the target coin.
- Position/balance your golf ball on top of this coin (See pic 2)
The Execution:
The goal is to hit the putt so that your ball rolls over the target coin, but the true magic is in the follow-through.
After making contact, keep your head and eyes absolutely still. Do not look up. Instead, hold your finish and focus your gaze down on the spot where the ball was. You should clearly see the coin still sitting there, completely undisturbed.
Why This Drill is So Effective:
This simple act of looking for the coin reinforces three fundamentals:
- A Still Head: It physically prevents you from peeking, guaranteeing your head remains still through the entire stroke, which is the foundation of consistency.
- Proper Impact: A correct putting stroke should make contact with the ball on a slight upswing, imparting overspin for a true, end-over-end roll. This upward strike is why the coin remains perfectly in place. If you had a descending blow (a common fault), you would knock the coin away, giving you instant feedback that your stroke is incorrect. If you do this try and move the ball further forward in your stance.
- Massive Confidence: After just five minutes of successfully rolling putts at a tiny coin, your perspective changes. When you stand over a three-foot putt on the course, the hole will look enormous. A target that’s over four times the size of a coin feels like a bucket, instantly filling you with confidence.
Forget trying to make long practice putts. Before your next round, invest five minutes with the Two Coins drill. You’ll walk onto the first green with a quieter technique, a better roll, and the belief that every short putt is going in.
Tom Long – Golf Professional
