The Gate Putting Drill: Simple Practice for More Accurate Putts

Putting mistakes come from a bad read, they come from a putter face that isn’t square at impact. Even small face-angle errors can send the ball offline or ruin distance control, especially on short and mid-range putts.

The Gate Putting Drill is one of the simplest ways to train a more consistent, square putter face, but only if it’s used correctly.

There are two variations of this drill, and while they look similar, each targets a different weakness in the putting stroke. This guide breaks down exactly how to use both versions, when to use each one, and how to get more out of your practice time on the putting green.

The Gate Putting Drill (Key Takeaways)

Review these key takeaways to gain a clear understanding of what you’ll learn and how the Gate Putting drill can help you.

• Improve your accuracy by focusing on getting the putter face square through impact.
• Optimize your stroke so it can adapt to any putt.
• Practice in your home or on the greens.
• Take advantage of two variations of this drill.
• Address common mistakes with the quick fixes below.

What is the Purpose of the Gate Putting Drill?

The Gate Putting Drill trains a square putter face and a more consistent stroke. By rolling the putter head through a narrow gate, you get immediate feedback on face angle and path at impact.

The drill is adjustable for any skill level and works well as both a practice tool and a pre-round warm-up. With regular use, it improves accuracy, distance control, and confidence on the greens.

Variation #1 (Easier – Stroke Path & Face Control)

• Place two tees in the ground slightly wider than the length of your putter head.
• Position a ball centered between the tees and take your normal putting setup.
• Roll putts to a target no farther than 10 feet away without letting the putter contact either tee.
• Hit 10–15 putts, then move the tees closer together to increase difficulty.

This variation helps you control the putter face through impact and develop a more repeatable stroke without adding unnecessary pressure.

• Video Timestamp: 6:44 – 9:12

Variation #2 (Harder – Start Line & Precision)

• Place two tees or cups about one foot in front of the ball.
• Start with a gap roughly two ball-widths wide.
• Roll 10–15 putts through the gate toward a predetermined target.
• As consistency improves, narrow the gate and/or move it farther away from the ball.

This variation sharpens start line control and exposes even small face-angle errors at impact.

Who Will Benefit From the Gate Putting Drill?

• Golfers Struggling With Face Alignment: Golfers who struggle to keep the putter face square through impact, especially beginners and high handicappers, benefit from the immediate feedback the gate provides. Any contact with the tees makes face-angle errors obvious and speeds up learning.
• Players With Inconsistent Putting Strokes: Golfers who miss short putts or frequently roll the ball offline will benefit from the narrow gate, forcing a more controlled, repeatable stroke. This helps tighten mechanics and reduce variability in the start line.
• Golfers Working on Focus and Confidence: The gate drill builds confidence by proving your stroke can hold up under pressure. Repeated success through the gate reinforces good habits and increases trust on the greens.
• Experienced Golfers Refining Their Stroke: More advanced players can use the gate drill to fine-tune face control and path, making it a strong complement to broader putting practice routines.

HackMotion Integration

The Gate Putting Drill shows you when the putter face isn’t square, but it doesn’t tell you why.

In putting, even small wrist movements can change face angle, loft, and roll. Those changes are usually too subtle to see or feel.

Using HackMotion while you work on the Gate Drill lets you connect missed gates or tee strikes to what your wrists are actually doing.

That makes the drill more than a pass-or-fail test.

HackMotion helps you:

• Identify wrist movement that opens or closes the putterface.
• Stabilize lead-wrist motion for more consistent strike and rollout.
• Maintain consistent tempo as the gate gets narrower or pressure increases.

When you understand how your wrists affect the putterface, the Gate Drill becomes a faster, more effective way to improve accuracy and consistency.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

If you’ve been working with the gate drill a bit and not seeing progress, try these quick fixes to see how it can help.

Issue	What It Tells You	Adjustment to Make
Gate feels too easy	The gate isn’t challenging face control or strike quality.	Narrow the gate until you miss about 3–4 out of 10 putts.
Gate feels impossible	Face control isn’t ready for that tolerance yet.	Widen the gate slightly and rebuild consistency before narrowing again.
Putts clip the tees on one side	The putterface is closing or opening through impact.	Check setup alignment and slow the stroke slightly.
Good strokes don’t repeat	Tempo or wrist motion changes from putt to putt.	Add a consistent pre-shot routine or use a metronome.
Short putts improve, longer ones don’t	Stroke control isn’t scaling with distance.	Move the gate farther away and repeat the drill at multiple lengths.

Drills That Pair Well With the Gate Putting Drill

The Gate Putting drill covers much of what is needed to become an improved and successful putter, but to truly reach new levels, you must address all aspects of putting.

Use these drills with the Gate Drills to cover all your bases and improve your putting in full.

Chopstick & Coin Drill

Getting the putterface square is a result of many moving parts. The most important, perhaps, is the angle of your wrists before, during, and after you strike the ball.

This drill helps you identify what your wrists are doing and ensures they perform as intended. When used with Hackmotion, the positive results are evident almost immediately.

The Ladder Drill

The gate putting drill is excellent for improving accuracy, stroke, and consistent contact, but for distance control, there is no better drill than the Ladder drill.

This can be done in many ways and may involve one or more partners. Its secondary benefit is that it helps you manage the inevitable pressure and nerves of being on the course.

• Video Timestamp: 0:18 – 5:44

Heads Up Putting Drill

This drill has become so effective that many pros and advanced golfers have incorporated it into their pre-shot routines before every putt.

It’s a great method for matching your stroke to the putt at hand and helps your body move as one. Use this with the Gate Putting Drill to take your putting to a new level.

• Video Timestamp: 5:51 – 10:48

Final Thoughts

Working on your putting may not be glamorous, but it’s a critical aspect of shooting lower scores. With the gate putting drill, you don’t need to spend hours to achieve positive results.

Using the information above, you can improve your accuracy and consistency with just a few practice sessions.

Accelerate your learning even more with Hackmotion. When used in conjunction with the gate putting drill, you can address multiple issues at once. The sensors and app work together to monitor your movement and make relevant, personalized suggestions.