Best Putting Training Aid in 2023

***If you’re looking for the most recent reviews for 2023 gear, we will be updating this page in the summer after we’ve had a chance to review them!

If you’re in a hurry and just want to know our top choice, here it is:

• PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer

Everyone who has ever played the game of golf knows the importance of good putting. Every golfer uses their putter at least twice as much as every other club in their bag, and for some of us who are truly bad putters, we use it even more than that. 

We have all been standing over a 4-foot putt at some point wishing that the people we were playing with would make it a gimme because we knew the putt was going to skirt by the hole. We have all ruined great golf shots to get to the green in regulation or earlier by missing 1, 2, or even 3 putts in a row. 

Putting can either be the thing that costs us more strokes than any other club, or we can turn it into the strength that keeps us in matches and allows us to compete with the people we play against. 

As you read, you will learn about the best putting training aids available in 2020. We will review 10, describe each one, talk about how to choose the best one for you, and reveal our favorite from the list.

Best Putting Aids in 2022 Reviewed

 

PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer

The PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer is one of hottest training tools on the market right now and with good reason. The Pressure Putt Trainer does not correct your actual putting stroke, but it shows you the results of your swing so that you can make changes as you go. In fact, what this training tool does is actually returns your good putts and dismisses the ones that do not have the correct speed or aim.

You can place a ball at a certain distance on any green, practice mat, or other surface and hit as many balls as you want until you get the speed down from that distance. If your speed is off, the PuttOut will return the ball to you the same distance by which you would have missed the putt. The design aims to mimic an actual golf hole and the ball will lip out if it does not land in the center. When you hit the ball well and your aim is good, the PuttOut holds your putt, and trust us when we say that is more difficult to do than you may realize, but it feels great when it happens.

Pros

• Mimics the difficulty of putting into an actual golf hole.
• Gives you immediate feedback on the result of your putt.
• Really easy to use and setup.
• Designed to return good putts and reject bad ones.
• You can build repetition in putting pace and aim.
• Allows you to keep your natural putting stroke and work on the results that it produces.
• Very portable and fits easily into your golf bag.
• High quality and durable materials.
• An inexpensive way to improve your putting.
• Can give beginners a lot of volume in a short amount of time and with great feedback.

Cons

• Works best for straight putts and not as well for breaks.
• No direct or immediate feedback on your actual stroke.

 

Dave Pelz Putting Tutor

The Dave Pelz Putting Tutor focuses on alignment and green reading skills so that your putt always has a chance to go in. You start by aligning the white line at the end of the putting tutor with the target line. At the front of the putting aid, there are 4 marbles that create a path through which your ball should travel to remain on your chosen line. First of all, if you can get the ball through this path then you are already starting your ball on a good and straight line.

Second of all, once your ball rolls off of the putting tutor, it starts off towards the hole. At this point you can begin to see whether or not you read the green correctly and how your ball rolls when started on the right line. You can also use the Pelz golf ball with the red circles around it to see whether or not your ball is going end over end and how quickly it gets there. While this training aid does not directly address your putting stroke, it does help you with alignment and getting the ball off in the right direction so that you can adjust the speed and repeatability of your stroke accordingly.

Pros

• Helps with alignment which is one of the most difficult aspects of putting.
• Allows you to see where the putt went wrong or right depending on outcome.
• It is easy to notice your alignment mistakes  and fix them with this tool.
• Helps you to improve green-reading skills.
• Can help to improve your stroke mechanics.
• Helps you to square your clubface at impact.
• Gives you the ability to see the roll of your ball after contact.
• It is easy to make connections between what this training aid is showing you and your actual putting stroke.
• Works more on your feel than the technical aspects of your stroke.
• Used and endorsed by Phil Mickelson and developed by his swing coach.
• Very easy to use with little to no setup.

Cons

• Does not physically correct your putting stroke.
• A little pricey compared to other options.

 

Eyeline Golf Putting Alignment Mirror

Different iterations of the eyeline golf putting alignment mirror have been around for a long time now, and its longevity in this market speaks to its quality. This training aid is great for alignment issues, to help you make center strikes more consistently, and there are drills that you can do to perfect your swing path. It is a very versatile training aid and is the first that actually can directly affect and change your putting stroke.

There are instructional videos that are pretty good quality that will help you figure out different drills to do to make this an even more effective tool for your putting. The mirror gives you immediate feedback standing over the putt while the placement of the ball and the shape of the mirror allow you to see how your club should come through to make a center strike each time. The good thing is that the width of the mirror is about the average width of a putter head so that it is a visually appealing way to see how your club should travel. You get immediate feedback both in the results and in how your swing looks.

Pros

• Can be used to directly fix error in your putting stroke or alignment.
• Immediate feedback both in the results that you see after a putt and also in how you are setting up over the ball.
• Inexpensive but high quality.
• Has been around and popular for a very long time.
• Very portable and easy to carry onto the course or the practice green.
• Helps to create a consistent putting stroke and stance.
• Helps with alignment both on the green and in your putting stance.
• The layout of the mirror makes it easy to see how your club should come through at contact and it can help with follow through as well.

Cons

• A little more difficult to set up than other options.
• Not as good for arced putting strokes as it is for the straight through stroke.

 

Well Putt Premium Pro

The first putting mat on the list, a high quality putting mat should really be a part of any serious golfer’s arsenal. More than anything else, you get better at putting by putting. You can know all of the theories, have great form, and use the best tools out there, but if you do not spend time putting and really building muscle memory and consistency, then you will never improve like you want.

The Well Putt Premium Pro rolls well, is available in 2 speeds (pro and amateur), and has a lot of drills and training aids on the mat itself. The white line that runs most of the length of the mat is a great alignment tool and allows you to learn how to roll the ball straight. 

Pros

• Multiple alignment lines with one white line running down the middle that is particularly helpful when working on aim.
• Comes with an app that includes drills and how to use the mat.
• You can putt in both directions.
• It has two speed options.
• Is set up for multiple drills, a variety of alignment tools, and you can create dips and undulations.
• Multiple targets are available to work on speed and accuracy.
• It gives you the opportunity to practice in a controlled environment and when it is convenient for you.
• It is slightly longer than the average mat.

Cons

• Durability is sometimes an issue.
• There are so many tools and aids that it can be distracting.
• You can get used to the faster speed of the WellPutt and struggle on slower greens.

 

Laser Optics V III Training Laser

It is so much easier for most of us to learn by seeing rather than by hearing or reading, and that is exactly what the Laser Optics V iii Training laster does. The laser is projected in a straight line on the putting surface and you can follow both your clubhead and the ball through the length of the laser. If your putter moves to one side of the center or the other, you immediately know that you are offline.

If your golf ball starts to the right or left of the laser, you know that either you putter twisted at impact or that you were not aligned correctly. You can take the laser anywhere and it really helps to see what your putting stroke is supposed to do while you are actually feeling the putter in your hands. 

Pros

• Very portable and the carrying case makes it even easier to transport.
• It gives you real time feedback at any point during your putting stroke.
• The battery lasts a long time and charges quickly.
• You can use it anywhere.
• You get to see and feel at the same time what a good putt is supposed to look and feel like.
• The tripod gives it a great angle.
• Setup is simple.
• Laser putting aids have been around for years and some of the best putters in the world have used them.
• It helps to build consistency and an awareness of how your stroke should look and feel.

Cons

• It is difficult to use and see in broad daylight.
• More expensive than most of the other tools on this list.

 

PuttOut Pro Golf Putting Mat

The second putting mat on this list, the PuttOut Pro features a simple and straightforward design that helps you to focus on the speed and accuracy of your putts. Having an indoor putting surface is really an essential tool for golfers who want to improve, and at 8 feet long the PuttOut Pro is both long enough to allow you to practice and short enough to fit in any room without taking up too much space.

The backing of the PuttOut Pro is a very heavy rubber that allows it to lie flat and straight without much work other than simply rolling it out. There are 7 distance markers along with gate markers that allow you to gage the arc and path of the ball. This mat mimics medium/fast greens and it feels as realistic as any other putting mat out there. It also features 5 specific drills that can really help you learn speed, distance, and how to make center strikes more consistently than ever.

Pros

• Putting takes practice and this gives you the ability to practice any time and anywhere.
• Works great with a flat practice hole.
• You can practice long and short putts.
• The rubber underside is thick and keeps the mat straight.
• The guidelines help with alignment and seeing how the roll of the ball effects performance.
• Comes in gray or green.
• Comes with a convenient carrying case if you need to take it with you.
• Very durable.

Cons

• Only one speed option.
• There is not actually a hole, just a circle where the hole should be.
• Somewhat narrow width.
• Balls can leave grooves in the mat if you use it too often in the same spot.

 

ExPutt Real Time Putting Simulator

The ExPutt Real Time Putting Simulator allows you to practice your putting on different speeds, weather conditions, and courses electronically. You set up the camera where it has a good view of the accompanying putting mat and synch the 2 devices. Once that happens, you can choose the type of green you are putting on and get to work. The simulator captures the speed, direction, ball spin, and putter swing path to show you on the screen what your ball would do under whatever conditions you have chosen.

You can choose from either of 2 practice modes or a game mode where you play against other people or the computer. You actually see the courses you are putting on and you see your ball breaking and rolling either into or close to the hole. Just like you would expect from a simulator, it simulates real life conditions and shows you how you would be performing on an actual golf course.

Pros

• You can practice like you play.
• You can choose from any number of different greens so that you work on different speeds, slopes, grass, etc.
• The 2 practice modes really get you used to the simulated putting.
• The “game” mode is fun and challenging and allows you to test your skill against others.
• You can practice all types of distance, strokes, slopes, etc. with very little work or setup on your part.
• Once it is set up, you can leave it setup for the next time.
• You can get a lot of practice in in a very short amount of time.

Cons

• The most expensive putting training aid on this list.
• Even the best, most expensive simulators cannot replicate game play exactly.
• You do not get the satisfaction of seeing the ball that you struck go more than a couple of feet.

 

PuttOut Putting Mirror Trainer and Alignment Gate

The PuttOut Mirror Trainer places very high value on alignment and repeatability and it is evident in the product. The magnetic rails give you a great visual of how your club head should be coming through at impact because the ball is placed right in the middle of those 2 rails.

After impact, the ball rolls toward the gate and you get instant feedback on the accuracy of your shot as well. When you stand over the ball, you can center your club using the rails, but you can also check your posture and your stance in the mirror. After all of that, you can be sure that your setup is good, your face is square at impact, and the ball is going directly where you wanted it to go.  

Pros

• Great training tool for alignment and setup.
• You can work on accuracy and especially on getting the ball started on the right line.
• Can be used any time anywhere.
• It can help you improve your putting results.
• The mirror gives you a great visual for your entire putting process, rather than just the stroke.
• You can work on alignment and address while actually putting.
• It helps to build a routine.
• If you use this product consistently, it will build up muscle memory.

Cons

• It does not directly address swing flaws, just results.
• Not overly durable.
• A little cumbersome to use and setup.

 

Perfect Practice Putting Mat

With a great social media campaign and a high quality product, the Perfect Practice Putting Mat is a pretty highly sought after golf commodity. With any practice mat, one thing matters above everything else…How real does the green feel? Many of the budget mats out there do not really help your putting because there are just no similarities between putting on the mat and putting on a green.

The Perfect Practice Putting Mat, because of its true roll crystal velvet technology, is one of the highest quality mats in terms of true feel and speed. You get really similar feel to what it is like being on the course. It is a simple design where high quality materials and a true feel are the priorities. The alignment aids are in the perfect places and the distance markers help you to know how fast your ball is moving throughout the roll. In general, this is a simple and straightforward product with a high focus on quality. 

Pros

• As far as putting mats go, the quality of this one is really high.
• The speed is similar to medium/fast greens.
• The ball return feature is great and gives you more opportunities to putt because you do not have to go anywhere to find your ball.
• The alignment lines and distance markers give you a great visual of what your putt is doing.
• A simple design that is not distracting and makes you want to focus on putting.
• Out of the 2 holes on the putting mat, one is regulation size and one is ½ of regulation size. If you practice on the smaller hole, it will feel like you are putting into the ocean the next time you are on the course.
• Very easy to assemble and setup, you could easily be putting within 5-7 minutes of opening the box.

Cons

• Limited in how it can actually improve your putting other than giving you more opportunities to practice. 
• Only one speed option to work with.
• Because of the ball return feature, it slopes up at the hole and that is not really similar to any other courses I have played.

 

IXIA Sports TPM

This is one of the few training aids on this list that exists to improve your putting stroke. The IXIA is basically 2 adjustable aluminum rods that connect together at the shaft of your putter while the other end of both rods connects to you. You place the rods under your arm and they act as a stability bar that keeps your arms and torso moving together in a pendulum motion.

Basically this training aid teaches you to consistently move your body in tandem for a more stable and consistent stroke. You do not even need a golf ball or a putting surface for this training tool to work. Just 5 minutes every day with this connected to you and your putter and you will start to build the muscle memory of the pendulum motion that is so important to the putting stroke. 

Pros

• Helps to ingrain the motion in your mind so that you no longer need the training aid.
• Great for any skill level. 
• Helps to make your stroke more stable and consistent.
• It works best for those who use toe weighted putters and have an arced motion to their swing.
• You do not need a ball or a putting surface, just a putter and the apparatus.
• Gives instant feedback if your putter starts to go off line.
• Teaches your putting swing plane and how important it is to successful putting.
• Comes with instructional videos for optimal experience.

Cons

• Will not be as helpful if you use a face balanced putter and have a straight through stroke.
• It is too bulky and time consuming to take to the course with you so you have to find time on your own to use it.
• Not everyone needs that pendulum motion in their stroke.

 

What Makes a Good Putting Training Aid?

A good putting training aid is one that gives immediate and actionable feedback. Data and a visual that shows the weaknesses of your swing without any plan of how to make it better are little more than useless. You want a putting training aid that will help you develop your stroke and your consistency.

Who knows, you might start sinking putts like these:

What Are The Benefits of Using a Putting Training Aid?

Usually putting training aids focus on 1 or 2 aspects of your stroke. Some might help you with your backswing, others help you with your setup and stance, while many help you focus on distance and accuracy.

Some training aids exist specifically to alter your stroke either with resistance or with some other physical mechanism that teaches you the foundations of a swing. Others help you see, in real time, a results driven training that shows you how you missed a putt and allows you to fix it the next time.

Every training aid helps you with something different and it is up to you to find the one that helps to fix your weaknesses.

Do I Really Need a Putting Training Aid?

While we cannot say that you “need” a putting training aid, finding the right one or two for your putting stroke can make the game of golf a lot more fun. So many of us lose strokes on our final score that should have been simple just because we are not consistent with our putter.

A good training aid will help you build a setup routine, get your alignment right, teach you a proper swing path, help you find consistent distance, and let you build the right follow through.

There are very few things on the course that are more annoying than missing a 4-footer for par, and a training aid can help you experience that much less often.

Our Choice For Best Putting Training Aid in 2020

 

Best Overall Putting Training Aid: PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer

The PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer is our choice for best putting training aid on the market in 2020. It is the same size and shape as a regular golf hole, and it gives you instant feedback on every putt. If you hit it dead center but you are off on the speed, it sends the ball back the same distance by which you would have missed the putt. If you make it, the PuttOut holds onto the ball and it makes this really satisfying sound knowing that your putt was perfect. While it is not a tool that actually changes your swing, it gives you great “results oriented” feedback so that you can change what needs to be changed to make the next one.