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AlignmentRange PracticePutting Putter Expert / Intermediate ⏱ 21 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Xander Schauffele's Putting Drills: Aim and Pace

Xander Schauffele described himself as “terrible” at putting. Together with his coach, Derek Uyeda, he made eye contact and aiming the starting point for everything. Chris Como followed them in San Diego: a board, a chalk line, aiming plates, and an exercise for speed control with his eyes closed.

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Xander Schauffele
Xander Schauffele · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

4 minSame problemReading Greens with Your Feet, Justin Rose's WayJustin Rose · Intermediate10 minSame problemBrooks Koepka's Fairway Finder: The Safe FadeBrooks Koepka · Intermediate / Expert4 minFrom the same proXander Schauffele's Short Approaches: Ball Behind the GreenXander Schauffele · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

For Derek Uyeda, it all starts with the eyes: If your vision is blurry, you’ll have trouble focusing and reading. Fatigue, travel, or stress can affect your perception from one week to the next. First tool: a board with lines on it; if the lines don’t appear aligned when you’re standing directly above them, your eyes are out of alignment. DIY version: a chalk string and three balls lined up on it. How you stand and how you turn your head matter: a neck that’s more parallel to the ground and eyes that are perpendicular to the ground make the line appear straight.

Second tool: the sight plates. Schauffele aligns his putter with the chosen line (a tee marks the starting point), while Uyeda slides a plate in front of the putter face and checks the direction with a string. If the plate is positioned correctly and the putt misses at the right speed, it means the read was off. For speed control: strike the ball, then close your eyes and call out where the ball will stop, or try to fit as many balls as possible within 15 feet, each one farther away than the last. Between the high line and the low line, any putt can go in if the speed matches the chosen line.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Stretch a chalk line across a straight putt and place three balls against it (6 feet apart to start, 9 feet apart to make it harder).
  2. Take your stance at address and check to see if the balls appear to be aligned; if not, adjust the position of your head and neck.
  3. On a breaking putt, place a tee where you want the ball to start rolling.
  4. Align your putter with this tee, then check the face angle (using a plate or string).
  5. Putt at the desired speed: if you miss even though your aim is good, review the lesson.
  6. To perform speed control, take a long putt, then close your eyes and call out the moment the ball comes to a stop.
  7. Finish with the "15-foot game": each ball must go farther than the previous one.

Key Takeaways

Visual perception changes from week to week: it needs to be recalibrated.
Lines that don't appear straight above the ball: the eyes are misaligned.
All you need is a chalk line and three balls to check its alignment.
A tee placed on the tee line prevents you from using the putter “at random.”.
A missed putt with the right speed and proper aim: I misread the green.
Between the high line and the low line, everything fits as long as the speed is right.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • To rely on one's perception without ever verifying it.
  • Tilt or turn your head so that you see the line at an angle.
  • Putt without a starting target; aim randomly.
  • Practice 100 putts in the same spot instead of varying your putts.
  • Choose a line without adjusting your speed: ride high on downhill sections and lower on uphill sections.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. A chalk line and three balls at the start of the session
  2. A tee placed on the starting line for each putt
  3. Exercise with eyes closed on 30-foot putts
  4. The 15-Foot Game: as many shots as possible, each one farther than the last

Your Questions

How can I check, without any equipment, that I'm aligning properly when putting?

Stretch out a chalk line, place three balls against it, and then take your stance at address. If the balls don't appear to be aligned, adjust the position of your head: keeping your neck more parallel to the ground and your eyes perpendicular to the ground will help you see the straight line.

What are sight plates used for?

Knowing exactly where the ball is actually headed. Derek Uyeda slides the plate in front of Xander's putter without moving it, then controls the direction with a string. A shot to the right—even when the read and speed are right—is enough to miss.

How do you do the exercise with your eyes closed?

You take the putt with your eyes open to make sure you center the ball, then close your eyes and call out when the ball comes to a stop. This helps you learn to connect the motion with the ball’s roll.

Should there be a line on the ball?

Schauffele coaches her on the practice green, using training aids like training wheels, but she doesn't need them as much anymore since she's been working on her aim. On the course, it's entirely possible to do without them.

Learn More

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Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Xander Schauffele). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.

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