The Best Disc Golf Putting Practice and Drills

If you want to be a better disc golfer, you must practice your putting. The more you can refine your pre-shot routine and develop your muscle memory, the more you will improve. It’s also good to practice different putt types and stances because you never know when you might need them. Not all putts will be wide open and from a comfortable distance!

Here are a few good disc golf putting drills and practice ideas you can implement:

And, here’s what you need to get started:

• Practice Basket (Or, use a basket on the course not in play)
• Stack of Putters
• Mini Marker Disc (or several to set up stations)
• Music

1. Station-to-Station

This is always a good putting drill to get you warmed up and tap into your muscle memory for different putt distances. Mark a few spots around the practice basket. Start at 10 feet and putt until you feel confident in your stroke. Then move back to 20 feet and get dialed in again. Keep moving back as much as needed. You can also move around at each distance in a circle around the basket (like “around the world” in basketball). This is a great idea if your practice basket is in a spot where different angles offer different wind directions, slopes or obstacles. Practicing from one angle won’t help you as much when you encounter different scenarios out on the course.

2. Practice Different Stances

Another idea as you practice putting from different distances and angles is to work on different stances. If you usually use a staggered stance, work on your straddle. Straddle left and right. Find obstacles to putt around and over that may be more realistic to what you might find during your actual round. Team Innova Captain, Nate Sexton, uses this technique in his putting practice routine. He sets up at different distances and then has to make both a straddle putt (his normal stance) and a stagger putt from each station before moving to the next one. This way, he can practice his standard putt while still being ready to adjust easily if the situation demands a different stance.

3. Practice Different Angles & Releases

In addition to working on different stance techniques, you can use your putting practice sessions to try out different angles and release points. If you are normally a push putter, work on your spin putts or your “spush” putts. Practice hyzer putts and exaggerated anhyzer angles in addition to flat releases. Try releasing at different heights to find your comfort zone. You can even practice utility shots like turbo putts, scoobers, upside-down lid slides, air bounce putts and over-the-top hammer (“pancake”) putts in case you ever find yourself in a very awkward lie.

4. Invest the Time to Practice

The top professional disc golfers may spend hours a day working on putting because they know it is the most important aspect of the game. Having confidence on the putting green (and even on longer putts from circle 2 and beyond) is so valuable. If you are willing to put in the work, even practicing the shorter putts, it will pay off in the long run. Experiment with practice times that work for you.

5. Practice Your Personal Putting Routine

Another thing most top players do is have a very consistent putting routine. From the pre-shot visualization to settling into the stance to specific putting motions, they do the same thing every time. Whether it’s a 10-footer or a 40-foot downhill pressure putt, they don’t stray from their routines. Calvin Heimburg puts his putter up in front of his face and that’s what helps his timing and focus. Find what works for you and stick to it. 

Then, in your putting practice, follow your routine. Some players prefer the “rapid fire” approach at the basket simply to develop muscle memory. Other players will benefit from going through their whole routine on each practice putt. Put down a mini marker disc, visualize your putt, settle into your stance and go through the same motions each time. This will help ingrain your routine so that it feels natural when you’re on the course or when you find yourself in a tournament setting. 

6. Have Fun!

Just because you’re practicing doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Crank up the tunes and invite a friend over and incorporate various disc golf putting games into your practice sessions. You really can’t beat a good game of H-O-R-S-E (just ask JomezPro) when it comes to putting practice. 

These are just a few simple disc golf putting practice tips. We encourage you to check out YouTube videos and search online for specific drills and ideas that you can implement to improve your putting skills. There are so many great techniques out there and you have to find the methods that work best for you.

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