How a sleeve of golf balls can improve your putting

I’ve talked before about my love affair for golf training aids, with my garage pretty much filled up with nearly every single one ever created (OK, so that’s a slight exaggeration, but you get the point).

From swing trainers to putting devices to all sorts of funky gizmos and gadgets, using training aids to improve your game has become as common as pairing peanut butter with jelly. The two just go together.

But here’s the funny thing: Sometimes the best training aid is actually the simplest.

In the video above — which comes from Peter Kostis and Gary McCord on their “Kostis & McCord: Off Their Rockers” podcast, a GOLF Production — Kostis shares how a simple sleeve of golf balls can help dial in your putting.

“A lot of people would say that they flip [the club] at the ball with their hands,” Kostis says. “They get a little yippy with the right hand and kind of slap it — but that’s really not the problem.

“The problem isn’t that you’re hitting too hard with the right hand, the problem is that your left arm is going faster than your right arm. So what happens in an exaggerated way is that the left arm pulls away and the butt end of the club’s in front, so the right hand tries to hit to get caught up. It’s not a hit with the right hand problem, it’s a too fast left arm, too slow right arm problem.”

So Kostis says the solution to this common issue is simple: Use that trusty sleeve of golf balls!

“So what we’re going to do is take this sleeve of golf balls and put it between my arms,” Kostis says. “Once I get it between my arms, I’m going to learn to stroke the putt and not drop the sleeve of golf balls.”

“Now I’ve got both my right arm and my left arm traveling at the same speed, and then my hands go quiet,” he adds. “So put a sleeve of balls between your arms, don’t let it drop, and you’re going to get better speed control with your arms.”

While that’s just one way that a sleeve of golf balls can help your putting stroke, Kostis also adds another putting tip to try with the small box.

“Too many people that I see, when they putt, they get moving too much with their lower body,” Kostis explains. “They try to square the putter up with their body, and that’s no bueno.”

Kostis then sticks the sleeve of balls between his legs to help silence their bottom half.

“Even if you have to narrow your stance a little bit, this is a great drill,” he says. “Put the sleeve of golf balls between your knees and learn to putt without letting the box move. If you can hit putts and the box stays quiet, your lower body has stayed quiet — and you’ll get a sense for what it’s like to have a really stable foundation.”

So despite all sorts of training aids being available, it might be wise to take Kostis’ advice here and simply bust out a sleeve of golf balls the next time you’re on the practice green. By doing so, you can improve your fundamentals and, ultimately, start to see more success.

You can listen to the entire episode from Kostis & McCord below.

Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor