Going up to a green knowing you’ve hit it in regulation gives you one of the best feelings you can have on the golf course. Matching that with strong talent on the green gives any golfer confidence during a putt for birdie. A poor putter is at a distinct disadvantage on the golf course and the green. There’s nothing worse than squandering a birdie opportunity for a bogey or worse.
While you can practice your putting with a coffee mug in your office or hallway, it’s much more effective for your game to use putting training aids to steady your stroke. There are plenty of options out there, but we’ve narrowed our focus to the best putting aids on the market. Check out our guide below!
Our Top Pick: Perfect Practice Putting Mat
This putting mat is somewhat new to the market, and has been available since the end of 2019. Since coming to the market, the Perfect Putting Mat has proven to be an extremely valuable putting aid, and is one that has helped me shave a ton of strokes off my rounds. If you have room for a 9 foot mat in your home, this is a no brainer investment into your golf game.
This mat is a little more expensive than some of the other options on this list, but is well worth the investment. The Perfect Putting Mat measures out to be 9 feet 6 inches, and features alignment lines leading straight to the holes. The mat is made with high quality materials; the mat itself is thick, and made with Crystal Velvet Trueroll Technology, which produces speeds of 10-14 on the Stimp Meter. The hole is slightly elevated, which is meant to help you hit the ball to or past the hole, instead of leaving your putt short. There are 2 holes you can putt toward, one being regulation size and one being about half the size. Practicing on the half size hole is a great way to become a laser accurate putter- once you go back to the regular size hole, you feel like you can make any putt.
Practicing your stroke on this mat will lead to fewer putts on the course; the alignment aids are excellent and help you with visual feedback on your putting stroke. If you have the money, this is easily our favorite putting aid. (We covered the Perfect Practice mat in depth in another review, check it out here).
Best to Bring to The Golf Course: Genuine EyeLine Golf Putting Alignment Mirror
If there’s one putting aid I see many professional golfers use, it’s the alignment mirror; the Eyeline Putting Alignment Mirror is easily one of the best putting aids on the market. The mirror allows you to visualize your stroke, and when you first start using it you may be surprised at your stroke. When I first used this putting mirror I was shocked at how off line my stroke was; I was coming inside off the bat and in turn pushed many putts to the right. Since using it, my stroke is much more “straight back and straight through” and I can see a big difference in my putting.
The putting mirror also has in-built gate drills that allow golfers to square up their putters to further improve your stroke consistency. If you’re too busy to make it to the golf course or the weather doesn’t permit, then fret not because the EyeLine Mirror contains a non-skid backing that permits seamless indoor use. The pure improvement this aid provides makes this our top pick to improve your putting stroke.
Best Value Option: PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer
The PuttOut was initially introduced to the market in 2017, and since has become a wild success and a great putting aid for golfers of all skill levels. The PuttOut gives you real time feedback on both accuracy and distance control. The tool is highly portable and is made with durable materials, and is extremely easy to use.
This aid can be used in 2 different ways; the PuttOut can catch your made putts, or send them back toward you. Missed putts will lip off of the PuttOut, simulating the same action you would see on a real golf hole. If you choose to have the aid send the ball back to you, it will roll back as far as it would roll past the hole; this helps gain distance control and dial in your putting accuracy and tempo.
For the price, this is one of the better aids on the market. If you’re looking for an aid that can directly help you improve your putting stroke without spending too much, this is definitively a solid choice.
Putting Mat Alternative: VariSpeed Putting System
The VariSpeed Putting System is a great tool that can help you practice real world putting conditions from the comfort of your home. This indoor putting green uniquely has 4 different Stimp tested speeds, ranging from 7.5 to 13.
There are a few other interesting features worth noting about the VariSpeed Putting system. For one, each putt leaves a ball trace showing you the exact path, helping visualize your putting line. Secondly, it includes wedges to create slope, simulating a more realistic putting experience. If you want an in home putting aid, this is a great option that can genuinely improve your game.
For a Natural Putting Stroke: MS-3D Golf Putting Arc
While the core of your putting stroke is straight, the backstroke and follow through tend to be more of an arc motion. That’s where the MS-3D Golf Putting Arc swoops in and helps a golfer work on the putting arc as opposed to solely focusing on results. This is another good option for consistency in your stroke.
Nonetheless, you’ll need to use it for 5-10 minutes before your round for significant improvement. This aid is supported by over 130 PGA pros, and has produced many wins on tour. The Putting Arc is perfect for fine tuning a natural stroke.
5 Footer Golf Training Aid: Improve Your Short Putts
With a U-shaped bracket, the 5 Footer Golf Training Aid can help you dial in those critical 5 footers. To use it, you just wrap the product’s curved end around the actual hole. Doing so will direct your shots straight into the hole. This aid is highly portable, and easy to store. This is a straight forward putting aid that can help you hone some of the most important puts you’ll make.
Buying Guide
Below are some of the most important buying factors to consider when selecting the best putting aids for your needs.
1. Functionality
The most essential factor to keep in mind when evaluating a putting aid is the impact it’ll have on your golf game. Make sure that the putting aid you choose is practical, functional, and helps improve your game. Know what you’re looking for: do you need help making sure your stroke is coming through square, are you struggling with speed control, or accuracy? The best putting aids will help you with all 3 of these aspects of your putting stroke. Decide what you’d like to improve, and have that determine what kind of aid you’d like to buy.
2. Design
Design is everything when it comes to a good putting aid. You want something that is durable, and easy to use. Some putting aids are designed for home use, while others are made to be brought to the course for the practice green. If you want something to bring to the course, size and portability are going to be big factors.
The best putting aids are designed with the golfer in mind, and are made to be easy to set up and use. Don’t go for something that’s overly complicated.
3. Price
As always, price is always a factor. The best putting aids can range from a few bucks to hundreds. Our favorite putting aid is obviously more on the high end of the price range, but you can still find quality products for under $100 if you need to. As a general range, you can find great putting aids anywhere from the $30 range up to about $200.
Closing Thoughts
You will use your putter more times in one round than any other club. That’s just the reality of the game, yet most people don’t do enough to improve their putting. Putting aids are a great way to improve your stroke and gain consistency, and ultimately shave strokes off your game. For home use, we think that the Perfect Putting Mat is a no brainer; this is the highest quality putting mat on the market, and is trusted by professionals like Dustin Johnson, Paige Spiranac, Matthew Wolff and plenty other.
If you want something you can bring to the golf course, then our top choice is definitely the Genuine EyeLine Golf Putting Alignment Mirror, as it gives your direct feedback, is highly portable and can help make some serious improvements in accuracy. This is a great aid to use on the practice green before you round, so you can make sure you’re well aligned on your stroke.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post!
