Putting Secrets of PGA Tour Pros
The Complete Guide to Golf Putting Training Aids: From $5 to $26,000
Struggling with your putting game? You're not alone. The good news is that anyone can learn to putt like a tour professional with the right training aids and consistent practice. While most golfers can't match a tour player's clubhead speed, putting is the great equalizer – but you need to practice like the pros to see real improvement.
This comprehensive guide covers the best putting training aids available, from budget-friendly options under $10 to professional-grade equipment costing thousands. Whether you're a weekend warrior or aspiring competitive player, there's a training aid here that will transform your putting game.
Essential Golf Ball Selection: The Foundation of Great Putting
Alignment Ball Features
Before investing in expensive training aids, start with the basics. Golf balls with alignment lines are crucial for developing proper putting fundamentals. These specially marked balls serve two critical purposes:
Visual Alignment: The line helps you aim accurately from behind the ball, ensuring your intended target line is correct every time.
Roll Quality Feedback: More importantly, alignment balls show you whether you're rolling the ball end-over-end. If you can see the line tracking smoothly after impact, you're making solid contact with proper technique.
Best Alignment Ball Options
- Black and white split balls for maximum contrast
- Titleist Pro V1 with Triple Track alignment
- TaylorMade and Callaway alignment models
- PXG balls with pre-printed lines
- DIY stencils for marking your existing balls
Pro Tip: Nearly 90% of tour professionals use alignment lines on their golf balls. If it works for them, it should work for you too.
Budget-Friendly Training Aids Under $25
String Line Drill Setup
One of the most effective and affordable training aids is the classic string line drill. Tour players practice with straight lines for hours, either using string setups or chalk lines snapped directly on practice greens.
DIY Version: Create your own using two pencils and kite string for under $5.
Benefits:
- Develops consistent alignment
- Teaches proper ball tracking
- Improves stroke path consistency
- Can be used anywhere with permission
The Pure Truth Trainer
This innovative training aid combines multiple practice elements into one versatile tool:
Key Features:
- Double string system for precise alignment feedback
- Eye position indicators to ensure proper setup
- Adjustable gates for stroke path training
- Built-in level for reading green slopes
- Guard rails that simulate putting arc geometry
- Indoor compatibility for year-round practice
The Pure Truth Trainer addresses the main limitation of traditional string drills – you can't stick anything into most indoor surfaces or your home carpet.
Professional Alignment Tools
Putting Mirrors: A Must-Have Investment
Every serious golfer should own a putting mirror. These training aids provide instant feedback on multiple setup fundamentals simultaneously.
Essential Mirror Features
Eye Line Alignment: Ensures your eyes are positioned correctly over the ball for accurate aim and distance control.
Shoulder Alignment: Shows whether your shoulders are parallel to your target line – crucial for consistent stroke path.
Forearm Position: Confirms proper forearm alignment, which directly affects your stroke plane.
Eyeline Golf Mirror Options
Compact Version: Perfect for travel and fitting in your golf bag during rounds.
Full-Size Professional Model: Preferred by tour players, offering complete alignment feedback for feet, hips, shoulders, and forearms.
Modular Design: Some models separate into multiple pieces for versatile practice options.
Tour Player Usage: Watch any PGA Tour practice session, and you'll see professionals using alignment mirrors for 5-10 minutes before every round.
Advanced Stroke Development Tools
The Putting Arc Trainer
The Putting Arc represents a fundamental shift in putting instruction. This training aid teaches the natural arc motion that occurs in a proper putting stroke.
Understanding Putting Arc Physics
Why Straight Back Doesn't Work: Due to the putter's shaft angle and your setup position, a truly straight stroke is biomechanically impossible and inefficient.
Natural Arc Motion: The correct putting stroke follows a slight arc – back inside, square at impact, and through inside. This matches your shoulder and arm movement patterns.
Face Control: The arc motion doesn't mean the face opens and closes. Your putter face should remain square to the stroke path throughout the motion.
Putting Arc Benefits
- Consistent stroke path that matches your natural body mechanics
- Improved face control through proper understanding of stroke geometry
- Better distance control from consistent impact conditions
- Reduced putting yips by eliminating compensatory movements
Professional Usage: Competitive players should travel with their putting arc trainer for hotel room practice and pre-round warmup.
Pendulum Putting Rod
Especially valuable for higher handicap players and those who struggle with wristy putting strokes.
How It Works
Setup: Adjust the rod length to match your height, then anchor the tip against your sternum.
Feel Development: The rod provides tactile feedback for proper pendulum motion, eliminating excessive wrist action.
Tour Player Adoption: Multiple PGA Tour professionals request this training aid weekly, according to Eyeline Golf's tour representative.
Technology-Enhanced Training
Tempo Training with Metronomes
Optimal Putting Tempo: Research by renowned instructor Phil Rogers identified 77 beats per minute as the ideal putting tempo used by the world's best putters.
Metronome Training Benefits
Consistent Rhythm: Maintains the same tempo regardless of putt length – only stroke length changes.
Pressure Performance: Develops reliable tempo under tournament pressure.
Common Mistake Correction: Most poor putters rush short putts and decelerate on long putts.
Practice Implementation
- Clip-on models for convenient practice
- Smartphone apps for silent personal training
- Earbuds compatible to avoid disturbing others
- Three-beat pattern: Takeaway, backswing completion, impact
HackMotion Sensor Technology
This cutting-edge training aid provides real-time biometric feedback on your putting stroke mechanics.
Measurement Capabilities
Wrist Angles: Tracks flexion, extension, and rotation throughout your stroke.
Deviation Analysis: Measures radial and ulnar deviation for complete wrist control assessment.
Tour Pro Comparisons: Compare your data directly against PGA Tour player benchmarks.
Key Insights
Stroke Consistency: Reveals exactly how much unwanted wrist action occurs in your putting stroke.
Length-Based Analysis: Different parameters for short putts versus long putts, recognizing that some wrist action may be necessary for distance.
Real-Time Feedback: Immediate data display allows for instant stroke corrections.
Competitive Advantage: Provides quantifiable data that video analysis cannot match.
Simple Training Aids for Immediate Improvement
Gate Training Drills
Using two alignment sticks or golf clubs positioned slightly wider than a golf ball creates an effective stroke path trainer.
Benefits for Beginners:
- Visual target line for improved aim
- Stroke path feedback without complex equipment
- Great for junior instruction ages 6-8
- Portable and versatile for any practice location
Alignment Stick Exercises
Pendulum Feel Drill: Tuck an alignment stick under both arms during practice strokes to develop proper shoulder and arm coordination while eliminating excess wrist action.
Professional-Grade Equipment
TrackMan Putting Analysis
At the pinnacle of putting training technology sits the TrackMan putting system – the same launch monitor technology used by tour professionals worldwide.
Advanced Metrics
Club Path Analysis: Precise measurement of putter path throughout the stroke.
Face Angle Tracking: Monitors putter face orientation at impact and throughout the stroke.
Ball Speed Consistency: Measures strike quality and energy transfer.
Green Speed Reading: Built-in stimpmeter functionality for accurate green speed measurement.
Distance Control: Tracks putting length correlation with stroke parameters.
Investment Considerations
Cost: Approximately $26,000 initial investment plus annual subscription fees.
Professional Usage: Bryson DeChambeau and other tour players use launch monitors regularly in practice.
ROI Analysis: Worth the investment for serious competitive players and teaching professionals.
Building Your Putting Practice System
Beginner Setup (Under $50)
- Alignment golf balls with visible lines
- String line setup or Pure Truth Trainer
- Basic putting mirror for alignment checks
- Metronome app for tempo training
Intermediate System ($100-300)
- All beginner items plus:
- Professional putting mirror with shoulder alignment
- Putting Arc trainer for stroke development
- Pendulum putting rod for tempo feel
- Gate training setup with alignment sticks
Advanced Competitive Setup ($500+)
- All previous items plus:
- HackMotion sensor for biometric feedback
- Professional metronome with clip attachment
- Multiple training aids for varied practice
- TrackMan system (serious competitors only)
Practice Like the Pros: Implementation Strategy
Daily Practice Routine
5 Minutes: Alignment mirror setup and posture check
10 Minutes: Putting Arc stroke development
10 Minutes: Tempo training with metronome
5 Minutes: Gate drill for accuracy
10 Minutes: Distance control with various length putts
Weekly Focus Areas
Monday/Tuesday: Stroke mechanics with arc trainer and mirror
Wednesday/Thursday: Tempo and rhythm development
Friday/Saturday: Competitive practice with pressure situations
Sunday: Review and assessment of weekly progress
Conclusion: Transform Your Putting Game
Great putting isn't about talent – it's about proper practice. With the right training aids and consistent effort, any golfer can develop tour-quality putting skills. Start with the basics like alignment balls and mirrors, then gradually add more sophisticated training aids as your skills develop.
Remember, the most expensive training aid won't help if you don't use it consistently. Choose training aids that match your commitment level and practice schedule. Even a $10 alignment ball with regular practice will improve your putting more than a $26,000 TrackMan system gathering dust.
Your lower scores start on the putting green. Invest in the right training aids, practice with purpose, and watch your confidence and performance transform around the greens.