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Tyler Ferrell is the only person in the world named to Golf Digest's list of Best Young Teachers in America AND its list of Best Golf Fitness Professionals in America.

Improve Your Face Control with the Meter Stick Drill

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Identify how speed affects your putting accuracy on a flat surface
  • Practice rolling the ball with precise face control towards a target
  • Gain confidence in your ability to maintain a straight putt under varying conditions

Learn how to enhance your face control by rolling a ball down a meter stick. This drill helps you develop a better relationship between your stroke and target alignment.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.880
The start line drill is roll it down the meter stick.

2
00:00:03.880 --> 00:00:07.480
So I highly recommend practicing this at home.

3
00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:11.580
But if you're using a meter stick that you've put tape on to calibrate your

4
00:00:11.580 --> 00:00:12.480
distances, then

5
00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:17.000
one other great way that you can use it is if you get one of the meter sticks,

6
00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:17.300
that's

7
00:00:17.300 --> 00:00:20.640
A metal, so it's hopefully not going to warp too much.

8
00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:23.760
And then B has a hole in the end.

9
00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:26.760
You can get the ball to sit in the hole pretty easily.

10
00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.960
The key here is hopefully you're practicing on a pretty flat surface.

11
00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:37.520
So hardwood that's level is much easier than say carpet or this green.

12
00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:41.660
I'll be impressed if I'm able to do this too many times here on the green

13
00:00:41.660 --> 00:00:42.480
because we got

14
00:00:42.480 --> 00:00:46.550
some slope and a little bit of, or this is pretty close to a flat putt, but we

15
00:00:46.550 --> 00:00:46.960
've got

16
00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:48.480
a bit of wind.

17
00:00:48.480 --> 00:00:52.530
And when there's a little cushion underneath, if it gets off the center, it

18
00:00:52.530 --> 00:00:53.440
actually speeds

19
00:00:53.440 --> 00:00:57.080
up how quickly it goes off of the meter stick.

20
00:00:57.080 --> 00:00:58.080
That makes sense.

21
00:00:58.080 --> 00:01:03.440
So this is a great way for working on your face control.

22
00:01:03.440 --> 00:01:10.380
You know, I like the one where you're hitting two balls to see if they, so that

23
00:01:10.380 --> 00:01:11.120
was led

24
00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:12.440
a little bit more with the heel.

25
00:01:12.440 --> 00:01:15.440
You're hitting two balls to work on face control.

26
00:01:15.440 --> 00:01:19.940
But this is a great way for working on face control in more of a relationship

27
00:01:19.940 --> 00:01:20.920
to a target.

28
00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:24.600
So now I'm imagining, let's see if I've got that straight.

29
00:01:24.600 --> 00:01:34.130
I'm going to basically roll this with as slow a speed as I can down this meter

30
00:01:34.130 --> 00:01:35.440
stick.

31
00:01:35.440 --> 00:01:40.130
I wouldn't say easy, but it's easier to roll it down the meter stick if you

32
00:01:40.130 --> 00:01:40.920
have a lot

33
00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:41.920
of pace.

34
00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:45.480
You saw that rolled pretty well.

35
00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:51.520
But if I do that same thing, oh, I'll save that one, I thought it was going to

36
00:01:51.520 --> 00:01:53.040
roll off.

37
00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:59.180
If you do it slower, then you've got a decent chance of it rolling off the

38
00:01:59.180 --> 00:02:00.440
meter stick if

39
00:02:00.440 --> 00:02:03.240
it gets a little off.

40
00:02:03.240 --> 00:02:06.440
Today's a good putting day.

41
00:02:06.440 --> 00:02:09.080
I'm controlling my start line pretty well.

42
00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:12.080
Usually those are the days that I don't read it as well, though.

43
00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:13.320
It's just a little tendency.

44
00:02:13.320 --> 00:02:19.920
So this can help you work on, if you can roll a meter stick, then that means

45
00:02:19.920 --> 00:02:21.080
that unless

46
00:02:21.080 --> 00:02:24.560
you misread it, you should never miss a putt inside three feet.

47
00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:28.280
And you should be able to control your start lines on virtually any putts.

48
00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:31.790
If you can do this at slow speeds, then I would, I'm fine with working on a

49
00:02:31.790 --> 00:02:32.640
little bit further

50
00:02:32.640 --> 00:02:37.010
speed because some people, the way that they create power tends to either cause

51
00:02:37.010 --> 00:02:37.560
the face

52
00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:40.600
to get open or cause the face to get shut.

53
00:02:40.600 --> 00:02:45.000
So testing at a different speeds can be helpful.

54
00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:50.620
But basically, if the face gets a little bit off, you'll see that it rolls off

55
00:02:50.620 --> 00:02:51.320
one side

56
00:02:51.320 --> 00:02:54.560
or the other depending on if it was more of a push or a pull.

57
00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:58.150
So this can help you with a diagnostic, if you're not quite sure how well you

58
00:02:58.150 --> 00:02:59.080
're controlling

59
00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:00.640
the face or what your tendency is.

60
00:03:00.640 --> 00:03:04.920
If you did 10 putts and seven of them fell off to the right or eight of them

61
00:03:04.920 --> 00:03:05.520
fell off

62
00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:10.960
to the left, then you could identify your neutral face control tendency.

63
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:13.400
I pull more putts or I push more putts.

64
00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:17.260
If you do 10 putts and eight of them roll straight down the stick, then start

65
00:03:17.260 --> 00:03:17.480
line's

66
00:03:17.480 --> 00:03:18.480
not your biggest concern.

67
00:03:18.480 --> 00:03:20.680
I'd work on green reading and speed control.

68
00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:25.660
So this is a great way to dial in your ability to make those short putts at

69
00:03:25.660 --> 00:03:26.400
home as long

70
00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:30.880
as you have a metal meter stick as well as a flat surface to practice on.
Related topics
This video hasn't been assigned to any topics yet. Browse all topics in the sidebar.
Tyler Ferrell is the only person in the world named to Golf Digest's list of Best Young Teachers in America AND its list of Best Golf Fitness Professionals in America.

Improve Your Face Control with the Meter Stick Drill

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Identify how speed affects your putting accuracy on a flat surface
  • Practice rolling the ball with precise face control towards a target
  • Gain confidence in your ability to maintain a straight putt under varying conditions

Learn how to enhance your face control by rolling a ball down a meter stick. This drill helps you develop a better relationship between your stroke and target alignment.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.880
The start line drill is roll it down the meter stick.

2
00:00:03.880 --> 00:00:07.480
So I highly recommend practicing this at home.

3
00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:11.580
But if you're using a meter stick that you've put tape on to calibrate your

4
00:00:11.580 --> 00:00:12.480
distances, then

5
00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:17.000
one other great way that you can use it is if you get one of the meter sticks,

6
00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:17.300
that's

7
00:00:17.300 --> 00:00:20.640
A metal, so it's hopefully not going to warp too much.

8
00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:23.760
And then B has a hole in the end.

9
00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:26.760
You can get the ball to sit in the hole pretty easily.

10
00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.960
The key here is hopefully you're practicing on a pretty flat surface.

11
00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:37.520
So hardwood that's level is much easier than say carpet or this green.

12
00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:41.660
I'll be impressed if I'm able to do this too many times here on the green

13
00:00:41.660 --> 00:00:42.480
because we got

14
00:00:42.480 --> 00:00:46.550
some slope and a little bit of, or this is pretty close to a flat putt, but we

15
00:00:46.550 --> 00:00:46.960
've got

16
00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:48.480
a bit of wind.

17
00:00:48.480 --> 00:00:52.530
And when there's a little cushion underneath, if it gets off the center, it

18
00:00:52.530 --> 00:00:53.440
actually speeds

19
00:00:53.440 --> 00:00:57.080
up how quickly it goes off of the meter stick.

20
00:00:57.080 --> 00:00:58.080
That makes sense.

21
00:00:58.080 --> 00:01:03.440
So this is a great way for working on your face control.

22
00:01:03.440 --> 00:01:10.380
You know, I like the one where you're hitting two balls to see if they, so that

23
00:01:10.380 --> 00:01:11.120
was led

24
00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:12.440
a little bit more with the heel.

25
00:01:12.440 --> 00:01:15.440
You're hitting two balls to work on face control.

26
00:01:15.440 --> 00:01:19.940
But this is a great way for working on face control in more of a relationship

27
00:01:19.940 --> 00:01:20.920
to a target.

28
00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:24.600
So now I'm imagining, let's see if I've got that straight.

29
00:01:24.600 --> 00:01:34.130
I'm going to basically roll this with as slow a speed as I can down this meter

30
00:01:34.130 --> 00:01:35.440
stick.

31
00:01:35.440 --> 00:01:40.130
I wouldn't say easy, but it's easier to roll it down the meter stick if you

32
00:01:40.130 --> 00:01:40.920
have a lot

33
00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:41.920
of pace.

34
00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:45.480
You saw that rolled pretty well.

35
00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:51.520
But if I do that same thing, oh, I'll save that one, I thought it was going to

36
00:01:51.520 --> 00:01:53.040
roll off.

37
00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:59.180
If you do it slower, then you've got a decent chance of it rolling off the

38
00:01:59.180 --> 00:02:00.440
meter stick if

39
00:02:00.440 --> 00:02:03.240
it gets a little off.

40
00:02:03.240 --> 00:02:06.440
Today's a good putting day.

41
00:02:06.440 --> 00:02:09.080
I'm controlling my start line pretty well.

42
00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:12.080
Usually those are the days that I don't read it as well, though.

43
00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:13.320
It's just a little tendency.

44
00:02:13.320 --> 00:02:19.920
So this can help you work on, if you can roll a meter stick, then that means

45
00:02:19.920 --> 00:02:21.080
that unless

46
00:02:21.080 --> 00:02:24.560
you misread it, you should never miss a putt inside three feet.

47
00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:28.280
And you should be able to control your start lines on virtually any putts.

48
00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:31.790
If you can do this at slow speeds, then I would, I'm fine with working on a

49
00:02:31.790 --> 00:02:32.640
little bit further

50
00:02:32.640 --> 00:02:37.010
speed because some people, the way that they create power tends to either cause

51
00:02:37.010 --> 00:02:37.560
the face

52
00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:40.600
to get open or cause the face to get shut.

53
00:02:40.600 --> 00:02:45.000
So testing at a different speeds can be helpful.

54
00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:50.620
But basically, if the face gets a little bit off, you'll see that it rolls off

55
00:02:50.620 --> 00:02:51.320
one side

56
00:02:51.320 --> 00:02:54.560
or the other depending on if it was more of a push or a pull.

57
00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:58.150
So this can help you with a diagnostic, if you're not quite sure how well you

58
00:02:58.150 --> 00:02:59.080
're controlling

59
00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:00.640
the face or what your tendency is.

60
00:03:00.640 --> 00:03:04.920
If you did 10 putts and seven of them fell off to the right or eight of them

61
00:03:04.920 --> 00:03:05.520
fell off

62
00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:10.960
to the left, then you could identify your neutral face control tendency.

63
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:13.400
I pull more putts or I push more putts.

64
00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:17.260
If you do 10 putts and eight of them roll straight down the stick, then start

65
00:03:17.260 --> 00:03:17.480
line's

66
00:03:17.480 --> 00:03:18.480
not your biggest concern.

67
00:03:18.480 --> 00:03:20.680
I'd work on green reading and speed control.

68
00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:25.660
So this is a great way to dial in your ability to make those short putts at

69
00:03:25.660 --> 00:03:26.400
home as long

70
00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:30.880
as you have a metal meter stick as well as a flat surface to practice on.
Related topics
This video hasn't been assigned to any topics yet. Browse all topics in the sidebar.