Improve Conversion Success Using The “Gate Drill”

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Stephen D. Simmons

Editor and Publisher – StrategicGolfer Instruction Series

Our highest priority in short game practice is learning how to convert more up and down attempts.  Most golfers use the same method of practice in the short game area.  They dump a pile of balls and rapidly work thru the pile hitting a variety of shots to one or multiple targets without any effort at attempting to convert those shots with a putter. 

How can we measure our success if we do not calculate our conversion percentage?

Practice like the pros….learn to convert!

Your ability to shoot lower scores is dependant upon how well you convert your scoring opportunities.  The way you convert more shots is by hitting shots that finish close to the hole.  Actually, we want the ball to end up past the hole if it does not go in.

We need to be conservatively agressive…meaning, we need to hit crisp shots that get to or beyond the hole with the correct read of the slope and break of the shot.

The gate drill can be used for any short game scoring shots.  Generally the gate drill will be used for shots of less than 30 yards.  The gate for a putt is different than a pitch or chip shot. 

The gate in putting practice is just wide enough to let the ball pass thru the gate without going into the hole.  For longer putts of 40+ feet you may have to adjust the gate to be about two cups wider than the hole.

You can see in the example below, the gate for putts of 15 feet is 2 inches to either side of the hole and 18 inches deep.  The gate is intended to help you get the ball to the hole with a good degree of accuracy.  If we miss the hole we want our shots to be just outside the hole and stopping within "gimmie" range.

The gate in chipping and pitching practice is 24 inches wide of either side of the hole and 36 inches deep.  If we miss the hole we want our shots to be just outside the hole and stopping within "gimmie" range.  Statistically most golfers have a fairly high percentage of conversions from less than 3 feet.