Sweeney offers a 2026 key tip through a putting drill

A diagnostic putting drill demonstrated by Stephen Sweeney, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher who coaches Tour players such as Ludvig Aberg and Collin Morikawa, is highlighted as a simple way to uncover why putts miss. The approach was showcased in Golf.com’s The Lab series, where Sweeney poses a pivotal question: “When you miss putts, do you know why you miss them?” For many recreational golfers, the answer is often no. The drill aims to pinpoint which of four fundamentals is at fault.

How the gate drill works

The setup is quick and straightforward. Choose a putt, insert a tee to mark the ball’s position, and study the read to estimate the ball’s path. Then place four ball marks or tees to create two small gates that divide the putt into thirds. The objective is to roll the ball cleanly through both gates and into the cup.

The four keys and how misses point to a fault

Sweeney asks golfers to assess four elements on every attempt: the read, the speed, the face angle (start line), and the strike location. If the putt misses, the location of the miss relative to the gates helps identify the likely culprit:

• If the ball travels through both gates but misses the hole, the read was probably off.
• If it passes the first gate but fails the second, speed is likely the issue.
• If it misses the first gate altogether, the start line or face angle was incorrect.
• If the ball behaves unpredictably despite a correct line and speed, the strike location may be the problem.

“What we want to do is make sure we are blaming the right things,” Sweeney says in the video. By isolating the fault, a golfer can target the exact area that needs work rather than guessing.

Why this drill matters for practice

Many golfers react to missed putts by attributing the result to nerves, green speed, or equipment, and then practice solutions that don’t address the real issue. The gate drill provides objective feedback: the gates supply immediate, visible evidence of where the ball started and how it moved.

When used consistently from various distances and locations, the exercise creates a pattern of information. Over repetitions, golfers can determine whether misses stem more from misreads, inconsistent pace, poor alignment at impact, or off-center strikes. Once the recurring fault is identified, targeted drills can be used—green-reading practice for reads, ladder or progressive-distance drills for speed, alignment work for start line, and stroke/impact work for strike location.

Practical application and routine-building

The drill requires only a few inexpensive items—tees or ball marks—and a brief practice session. Its low entry barrier makes it easy to add as a regular station during a putting practice. Because the exercise yields observable outcomes rather than subjective judgments, it provides coaches and players with a common diagnostic language.

After gathering results from the gates, focus practice on the most frequent misses. If reads are the main issue, work on slope and pace for similar-breaking putts. If speed is the chief problem, emphasize distance control with ladder drills or progressively longer putts. For start-line problems, incorporate alignment checks and visual aids to train the face angle at impact. If strike location appears to be the issue, concentrate on stroke mechanics and impact consistency.

The drill is adaptable: it can be used for short, testing-length putts to build confidence around the hole, or extended to longer lag putts to assess speed control over distance. Repeating the drill under realistic on-course conditions yields the most transferable improvements.

What happens next

Start by incorporating Sweeney’s drill into your next putting session and track outcomes from multiple locations. Note which gate is missed most often, then tailor practice to address that area. If uncertainty persists, consider a brief coaching session—the method provides clear data a coach can leverage to prescribe efficient follow-up work.

The original demonstration appears in Golf.com’s The Lab and was reported by associate game-improvement editor Zephyr Melton.

Source: Original report

Related: More Sweeney putting drill coverage