Using putting training aids such as putting gates for drills are one of the simplest ways to find out whether your putter is doing what you think it is doing. A ball that starts off line, clips the heel or catches the toe can make a short putt feel far harder than it needs to be. With two tees, coins or alignment gates, you can create clear feedback in a few minutes - at home, on the putting green or before a round.
Why putting gate drills work
Most missed putts are not caused by poor green reading alone. The ball also has to leave the putter face on the intended line, with a strike from the middle of the face. A gate turns those vague feelings of “I pulled it” or “I pushed it” into something you can see immediately.
There are two useful types of gate. A ball gate sits just ahead of the ball and checks your start line. If the ball passes through cleanly, it began where you aimed it. A putter gate sits around the putter head and checks how the club moves through impact. Catch a tee and you have a useful clue: your path, face position or strike needs attention.
That direct feedback is why this is such a good drill for everyday golfers. You do not need a launch monitor, a large practice area or a complicated routine. You only need a reasonably flat surface and enough room to roll a few putts.
Set up a putting gate that gives honest feedback
Start with a straight putt of around four to six feet. On a practice green, choose an area that looks level and confirm it by rolling a few balls from both directions. At home, a putting mat is ideal, but a smooth section of carpet can still help you improve the motion and centred contact.
For a start-line gate, place two tees or small markers roughly 30 to 45cm in front of the ball. Make the gap only a little wider than the ball - around 2 to 3mm of space on either side is enough. The smaller the gap, the more demanding the drill becomes, so begin with a margin that lets you succeed often enough to learn.
For a putter-head gate, place one tee just outside the toe and another just outside the heel. Set them near the ball, but leave enough space that a neutral stroke can travel through without brushing either marker. The aim is not to make the setup impossibly tight. It is to reveal a repeated pattern without forcing you to steer the putter.
Use tees outdoors and coins, headcovers or small objects indoors if your surface does not allow tees. Keep the markers low and stable. A gate that shifts after every attempt tells you very little.
Four putting gate drills worth practising
1. The start-line gate
Set up the ball gate, then make ten putts from four feet. Your job is not to hole every putt. Your first target is to send every ball through the gate without touching either side.
If the ball repeatedly hits the left side of the gate, it may be starting left because the face is closed at impact. If it catches the right side, the face may be open. Do not rush to rebuild your stroke after two misses, though. Look for a pattern over ten to fifteen attempts.
Once you can send seven or eight balls cleanly through the gate, keep the same setup and focus on pace. A ball can pass through a gate yet miss because it is hit too firmly or too softly for the slope. Separating start line from speed helps make practice more useful.
2. The centred-strike gate
Place the putter-head gate around your club, then hit short putts while avoiding both tees. This drill encourages the putter to return to the ball without a big swipe across it or an exaggerated inside move.
A toe strike often sends the ball off line and leaves a dull feel at impact. A heel strike can do the same in the other direction. If you keep touching the toe-side tee, check whether you are standing too close or letting the putter move away from you through the ball. If you catch the heel-side tee, you may be crowding the handle or pulling the putter inwards.
Make small adjustments only. Changing grip, posture and path all at once is a fast way to lose the useful feedback the gate provides. Start by relaxing your hands and keeping your setup consistent from putt to putt.
3. The gate and distance ladder
Many golfers roll the ball through a gate perfectly from three feet, then lose control when the putt gets longer. To bridge that gap, leave the ball gate in place and hit three putts each from three, five, seven and nine feet.
At every distance, judge two things: did the ball clear the gate, and did it finish within a comfortable tap-in range? A putt that starts well but runs four feet past is not a good result. Equally, a softly struck putt that stops short may have been on line but was never given a chance.
This drill is particularly useful before a round because it gives you a quick check on both strike and green speed. On a fast green, use a shorter backswing and let the putter swing through. On a slower surface, make a slightly longer motion rather than trying to jab at the ball.
4. The pressure finish drill
Practice becomes more realistic when there is a consequence. Set a start-line gate at four feet and give yourself a target of five clean makes in a row. A putt only counts if it passes through the gate without contact and drops into the hole.
Miss the hole, touch a tee or leave the ball short, and restart the count. This can feel frustrating, but that is the point. It asks you to keep your routine when each putt matters, much like a short putt for par.
If five in a row is too demanding, begin with three. If it is too easy, narrow the gate slightly or move back a foot. Good practice sits just beyond automatic success, not so hard that you are simply collecting misses.
Avoid turning the drill into a test of tension
A gate should sharpen your focus, not make you freeze over the ball. One common mistake is staring at the tees during the stroke. Instead, set your line, take one look at the target, then return your eyes to the ball and make a natural stroke.
Another mistake is making the gate too tight too soon. If every ball clips a marker, widen the gap. You are trying to build a repeatable start line, not prove that one poor stroke ruins the session. Likewise, avoid practising only on dead-straight putts. Once you have a reliable strike, use the gate on gentle left-to-right and right-to-left putts so you still have to read the slope properly.
It also depends on your putting style. A slight arc is normal for many players, while others use a more face-balanced, straighter action. The gate is not there to force one method. It is there to help your putter return consistently enough to start the ball on your chosen line.
Make it easy to practise little and often
Ten focused minutes with a gate can be more productive than rolling dozens of random putts. Keep a couple of tees or small markers in your golf bag, and use them while waiting for the first tee or during a quiet practice session. At home, a compact putting mat and a few markers give you a practical way to work on contact without leaving the house.
Affordable putting aids are useful when they make practice easier to repeat, rather than adding more things to think about. Golf Thing is built around that practical approach: simple equipment, useful training options and gear that helps you practise where it suits you.
The best putting gate drills do not promise a magic fix. They give you a clear target, a reliable way to measure improvement and more confidence when that short putt really matters. Set a gate, roll ten balls and let the result tell you what to work on next.