The Three-Stage Putting Warm-Up That Could Transform Your Greens Game
There's something almost meditative about arriving at a course early enough to spend real time on the practice green. The morning light catching the dew, the quiet before the first groups roll out, and that delicious anticipation of the round ahead. But here's the thing—most of us waste those precious minutes on the putting green, rolling ball after ball with no purpose, no progression, no plan.
I've been guilty of it myself, standing there with three balls, mindlessly stroking them toward whatever hole happens to be closest, then wondering why my speed is off for the first six greens. That's why I was genuinely impressed when I came across Drew Stoltz's pre-round putting routine—it's simple, it's structured, and it makes complete sense.
Stage One: The Straight Shorties
Stoltz, co-host of the Subpar podcast, begins his warm-up exactly where most good putting sessions should start: with dead-straight short putts. But he's not just rolling them in for confidence. He's gathering intelligence.
"All I'm focusing on is ball position and alignment," Stoltz explained in a recent episode of Emergency 9. "Speed doesn't matter. I want a dead straight putt just so I can get some feedback."
What I love about this approach is its diagnostic quality. If his putts are consistently catching the right edge, he knows his alignment is drifting right. Same logic applies to the left. He's essentially calibrating his stroke for that specific day, because—and this is crucial—your tendencies shift from round to round. Maybe you slept on your left side and your shoulders are slightly open. Maybe you're a little tired and your eyes aren't quite over the ball. The straight shorties tell you what's happening before you step onto the first green with money on the line.
Stoltz likes to see five or ten of these drop before moving on. Not rushing it. Just building that baseline.
Stage Two: The Circle Drill
Once the stroke feels dialed, Stoltz transitions to mid-range putts using a method I've seen countless tour players employ: the circle drill from six to eight feet.
"That way, I'm getting putts that are right to left, I get putts that are uphill, downhill, left to right, you get all of it," he said. "It just gives you a good idea for the pace of the greens and how hard you need to hit it on your given line."
This is where you start understanding the practice green's personality—and by extension, what you'll face on the course. Is the grain running strong toward the setting sun? Are these greens running faster than what you played last week? The circle drill forces you to confront break and speed simultaneously, which is precisely what every putt on the course demands.
Stage Three: The Lag Game
Finally, Stoltz moves to the longer stuff. Forty-footers. Uphill. Downhill. Edge of the green. Wherever he can find space.
"I just hit like, 40-footers over and over, uphill, downhill, just to get the pace dialed in for the longer putts," he said. "After that I try not to overthink it and head to the first tee."
That last part might be the most important advice of all. The warm-up isn't about perfection—it's about preparation. You've gathered your information, calibrated your stroke, felt the speed of the surfaces. Now trust it and go play.
The Equipment Factor
Stoltz has been gaming Cobra's 3DP Tour Agera putter, and he credits its alignment features for helping him address one of the most common amateur struggles. The two stripes on top of the mallet design make it considerably easier to set up square—something he admits he's battled throughout his playing career.
"That's the thing I struggle with most, and I think that's what a ton of golfers struggle with most is just getting set up correctly," he said.
It's a fair point. All the stroke work in the world won't help if you're aimed at the wrong spot to begin with.
The Takeaway
What makes Stoltz's routine worth stealing is its progressive nature: straight putts for stroke feedback, circle putts for break and speed awareness, lag putts for distance control. Each stage builds on the last, and the whole process probably takes ten to fifteen minutes—time most of us already spend on the practice green, just less productively.
Next time you arrive at the course, resist the urge to grab a handful of balls and start firing at random holes. Give this three-stage approach a try. Your first few greens might just feel a whole lot more familiar.