Improve Lower Body Stability for Better Putting

This drill trains one of the most important traits of a solid putting stroke: lower body stability. Good putters tend to keep very little movement from the belly button down, which allows the stroke to be driven by the upper body instead of by the hips, knees, or legs. If you are a visual player and you are not always sure whether your lower body is staying quiet, an alignment stick gives you immediate feedback. It helps you see whether your pelvis is rotating or shifting during the stroke, which is especially useful on both short putts and long putts where extra body motion often sneaks in.

How the Drill Works

To set up the drill, place an alignment stick through your belt loops so it extends out to both sides of your hips. Then place another alignment stick on the ground, parallel to your target line or simply as a visual reference for your setup. The goal is simple: make your normal putting stroke and check whether the stick through your belt loops stayed parallel to the stick on the ground.

If the belt-loop stick changes angle during the stroke, your lower body is getting involved. That usually means your hips are rotating, your knees are moving, or your pelvis is helping create motion that should be coming from the upper body.

This drill is especially effective in two situations:

Long putts, where you may try to create speed by turning your hips instead of making a longer, freer stroke with the upper body.
Short putts, where small, sloppy lower-body movement can interfere with rhythm and face control.

The drill teaches you to let the stroke come more from the shoulder blades, rib cage, and shoulder girdle, while the lower body stays stable and supportive.

Step-by-Step

Set the reference stick on the ground. Place an alignment stick on the ground so you have a clear visual guide for your setup and body alignment.
Thread a second stick through your belt loops. Position it so it rests across your hips and gives you an obvious visual of any pelvic rotation.
Take your normal putting stance. Do not exaggerate posture or ball position just because you are doing a drill. Set up the way you normally would on the course.
Make a stroke without worrying about the hole. The point is not to make putts. The point is to monitor body motion, so focus on the movement rather than the result.
Check the belt-loop stick after the stroke. It should remain roughly parallel to the stick on the ground. If it has turned open or closed, your lower body has moved too much.
Practice with longer strokes. On longer putts, allow the stroke to get bigger while keeping the lower body quiet. Learn to create speed from stroke length, not from hip rotation.
Practice with shorter strokes. On short putts, make compact strokes and pay close attention to the finish. Feel as though the upper body is moving the putter while the lower body stays calm and stable.
Repeat until the motion feels natural. The goal is to build awareness first, then consistency. Over time, you should need less conscious monitoring.

What You Should Feel

When you do this drill correctly, your lower body should feel quiet, grounded, and supportive. You are not trying to freeze rigidly, but you do want to eliminate unnecessary motion from the hips, knees, and pelvis.

Here are the key sensations to look for:

Stable hips with little to no rotation during the stroke.
Quiet knees that are not helping start the putter back or push it through.
Motion coming from the upper torso, especially the shoulders, shoulder blades, and rib cage.
A bigger stroke for speed on long putts, rather than a short stroke with extra body turn.
A clean finish on short putts, where the upper body continues the motion without the lower body joining in.

You may also feel that your shoulders are turning on a slightly more inclined plane, more in line with the posture of the stroke, rather than rotating too level around your body. That is often a sign that the upper body is controlling the motion more efficiently.

One useful checkpoint at the finish is this: it should feel as if your upper body has moved independently of your lower body, not as if both sections turned together as one unit.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using the hips to create speed on long putts instead of simply making a longer stroke.
Letting the knees sway or flex excessively, which can change the low point and face control.
Making the drill about results instead of body awareness. Ignore whether the ball goes in while you are learning the motion.
Forcing a rigid lower body so much that you create tension. Stable does not mean stiff.
Turning the upper and lower body together, which defeats the purpose of the drill.
Only practicing one distance. This issue often shows up differently on short putts than it does on long putts.
Changing your normal setup too much just to keep the stick still. The goal is to improve your real stroke, not create an artificial one.

How This Fits Your Swing

Although this is a putting drill, it reinforces a bigger principle that applies throughout golf: the right parts of the body need to do the right jobs. In putting, the lower body should provide stability, while the upper body provides the motion. When those roles get mixed up, your stroke becomes harder to control.

On short putts, too much lower-body movement can disrupt face angle and start line. On long putts, it can make distance control inconsistent because speed is being produced by a body turn rather than by a predictable stroke length and tempo. By quieting the lower body, you make the stroke simpler and more repeatable.

This drill also helps if you use video to evaluate your stroke. If you notice extra knee action, pelvis rotation, or a general sense that your whole body is moving through the putt, this is a straightforward way to clean it up. The alignment stick gives you immediate feedback, and that feedback can help you learn what a more efficient stroke actually feels like.

In the bigger picture, better putting often comes down to eliminating unnecessary motion. The more stable your base is, the easier it becomes to control the putter face, manage rhythm, and produce consistent speed. This drill gives you a simple way to build that stability and make your stroke more reliable under pressure.