Clock Drill
Place balls at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock around a hole at 3 ft and sink all 12.
Putting Beginner ~10 min 4 difficulty levelsAbout this drill
What it solves
Directional uncertainty on breaking putts, and poor understanding of entry-point vs. aim-point — one of the biggest contributors to 3-putts for amateurs (source: PGA of America Teaching Manual, 2019).
How to execute
- 1Place balls around a hole at specified distances, positioned like a clock face (12, 3, 6, 9 o'clock).
- 2Read the break at each position before striking.
- 3Putt all balls consecutively.
- 4Identify your "weakest clock position" — the direction where you miss most.
- 5Spend an extra 10 minutes on that position alone.
Recommended frequency
- Easy (Beginner)
- Weekly, one full clock (4 balls)
- Normal (Intermediate)
- 2× per week, two clocks (8 balls)
- Hard (Scratch player)
- Daily, clocks at 3 ft, 6 ft, and 9 ft
- Elite (Pro)
- Daily, full clock face (12 balls) at 3 ft
"Respect the clock. The 4:30 putt is not the same putt as the 3:00 putt. See them as different shots."
Origin: Developed and popularised by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott of VISION54, and used extensively on the LPGA Tour.
Difficulty levels
Setup & execution
Place balls at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock at two distances — 3 ft and 6 ft. Complete the inner ring first (clockwise from 12), then step back and repeat at 6 ft. The 6-foot putts require more speed control and break awareness than the inner ring.
Goal
Farther-ring successes earn 2 extra reward points. Hole 5 of the 8 putts using the original flat outcome values to pass.
Tour context
PGA Tour pros make roughly 97% from 3 ft and 58% from 6 ft. A combined 62% rate across both distances is a genuine challenge for a HCP 15–25 player.
Scoring options
Pick how you are rewarded. Each option records different outcomes and feeds different insights.
Classic
In or out. A miss costs you nothing.
Points
Leaving it short hurts twice as much as missing sideways.
Never Short
Come up short and you lose a point.
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