Aaron Rai’s putting practice includes a mat, string and a metronome

If you stand at the putting green at a professional golf tournament, you’re likely to see some thorough practice routines.

While some will use training aids to make sure they’re lined up, others will complete drills to work on their pace control and holing out. For others, it’s all about making sure their ball is rolling end over end and that they are striking it from the centre of the clubface.

For English pro Aaron Rai, it’s mix of all of the above and more. The two-time DP World Tour winner is known as one of the most meticulous in the game when it comes to practice, and it’s no different when he’s on the putting green.

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Rai told bunkered.co.uk that before a round he’ll take around 40 minutes on the putting green alone to get his fundamentals in check before heading to the first tee. When he’s there on a non-tournament day, there’s a strict process he follows to get his putting dialled in.

“For me, it starts with fundamentals. I’ll start by putting a putting mat down that will give me feedback on my stroke,” said the former Genesis Scottish Open winner.

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“I’ll also put a string down, that will help me with my eyeline, and then I’ll always have the ball lined up, that will help me to see how well I’m rolling it. All these will help me see if I’m striking putts out of the centre of the face and if my eyeline is where it should be, over the ball.”

After that, Rai says, it’s time to block out the noise and put some headphones in.

“I’ll also sometimes put headphones in and listen to a metronome to try and keep a good rhythm with my stroke. That will be a set amount of time where I’ll work on keeping that in a good flow. I’ll generally do these drills on putts that are around six-to-eight feet.”

Then it’s time to move into working on pace control.

“Initially, I’ll focus on long putts. The speed of the greens will change subtly throughout the week, so it’s good to get a feel of that to begin with, whether they are faster or slower than the previous day.

“Once I feel in control of that, I’ll hit a few very short putts. Then, I’ll go into those middle range putts, where I’ll put a couple of tee pegs down, maybe about a foot apart, and I’ll try and roll the ball between those two tee pegs. That will generally be the third part of my pace phase of practice.”

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Another thing that Rai will focus on is the extremes that he’s likely to face. If the putting green on-site that week has a severe slope, he’ll hit putts up the hill, before then turning the other way and hitting putts down the hill. It all builds a feel for what he could face on the course.

All this, Rai says, is done before the tournament gets underway. When he’s warming up to head to the first tee, things are a little more concise.

“Generally, I’ll have five minutes with the putting mat and the other drills I mentioned before a round, just to make sure everything is in check.

“Then, I’ll go to pace control to get a feel for how fast the greens are that day. I’ll then do some drills from around six feet, then do the drill where I try to stop the ball between tees from mid-range, then I’ll do short putts to finish the session.

“I’ll generally take around 40 minutes on the putting green before a round, just to run through those things and feel like I’ve covered all those bases. Once I’ve done that, I’m ready to go.”

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor