One of the easiest ways to shoot lower scores is to improve your putting. But that doesn’t mean you need a new putter or get professional golf lessons.
Instead, you might just need to learn how to use a putting mirror. These tools are used by the best golfers in the world and can make it easier than ever to putt with confidence.
In the history of golf I’m not sure a cheaper, more useful training aid has ever been created.
How to Use a Putting Mirror
So, why is this tool such an effective way to improve your short game?
A lot of reasons which we’ll cover today but mainly because it will help with eye alignment and posture. Paired with the right putter length, you can save more strokes on the green than you thought possible.
Key Takeaways
- Putting mirrors is one of the most effective training aids to improve your short game and work well with other short game aids.
- A putting mirror makes it easy to identify eye alignment, which impacts your posture and stroke.
- A putting mirror also can help with shoulder alignment and/or getting more arc in your stroke.
Keep reading to learn more about how these putting aids can develop a more consistent short game.
Benefits of a Putting Mirror
Before discussing how to use a mirror, let’s talk about the biggest benefits to these amazing training aids.
Eye Position
The first huge benefit of a putting mirror is getting your eyes lined up correctly.
As Scotty Cameron said, “If your putter is too long, your setup posture will be too upright with your eyes set too far inside the target line. If your putter is too short, your setup posture will be too hunched over with your eyes set too far outside the target line.
The ideal putter length sets your eyes 1-2″ inside of the target line to allow you to execute the proper arcing putting stroke while maintaining good posture and balance.”
A mirror and the right putter length can get your posture setup correctly and allow you to make a consistent stroke every time. The mirror will provide instant feedback to let you know if your eyes are too far under or over the ball, which will impact your stroke.
Shoulder Alignment
Older putting mirrors are much smaller than most newer designs and focused on eye alignment only. While that’s great, shoulder alignment is another important part of putting and one that a lot of golfers forget about.
For example, if you’re missing putts left consistently you might think it’s a stroke issue. When in reality, it might just be that your shoulders are left of the target. Luckily, newer putting mirrors are larger and make it easier to confirm your eye and shoulder alignment.
This will help you get your shoulders square and hopefully make more putts from all ranges.
Effective Putting Practice
Do you ever go to the driving range or short game area and feel totally lost about what to practice? If so, a mirror is a great way to improve your practice as you can use it with drills and proper fundamentals.
As Back to Basics Golf said, “Using a putting mirror in drills will drastically improve your short game skills. Drills are a repetitious form of practice made to perfect the most basic of golf techniques. The combination of the mirror and a quality drill routine is sure to improve your short game in no time.”
Can Use With Other Putting Aids
Another reason that mirrors are great is that you can make it even more effective with other training aids. For example, the Pro Path Putting Mirror has an option to buy “putting gates” as well. These tools require you to roll the perfect putt (both line and speed) to pass through the gates and hopefully in the hole.
Or you could use a chalk line to improve your short putts too.
Easy to Use + Affordable
Lastly, we can’t forget to mention that these devices are cheaper than most full swing training aids. They’re easy to use, work indoors/outdoors, and very affordable for all budgets.
Using a Putting Mirror in Practice
As you can tell there are tons of benefits to using mirrors and it’s easy to see why professional golfers (and amateurs) love them. Here are the best ways to use them to develop a more consistent short game.
At Home Practice
What’s great about these mirrors is that you can use them at home and on the golf course.
The most basic way to use a putting mirror at home is simply setting up and checking your eye alignment. You can take rehearsal putting strokes and focus on your fundamentals. Or, roll a ball on your carpet if you don’t have a ton of room for a putting green.
But the best way to use a putting mirror at home is with the help of an indoor putting green. This way you can hit putts on a surface that is similar to greens on the golf course. Plus, you’ll get very comfortable making short putts which can do a ton for your confidence and overall score.
Hit 5–10 putts with your mirror, then remove it to get comfortable without it as well. Do this 5-7X times in a row for a great 15-20 practice session.
On the Putting Green
A putting mirror is also small and easy to transport so it can always stay in your golf bag. Even if you have a stand bag or hybrid bag, most mirrors can fit comfortably and not take up too much space.
You can use putting mirrors to help with all types of putts on the green. First, spend a lot of time on short putts as they’re the most important distance to work on.
If you want to break 80 or even become a scratch golfer, making most of your putts inside 6-feet is the key to success. Like the indoor green, use the mirror for a lot of short putts then take it away to not get overly dependent on the aid.
Once you feel comfortable with shorter putts, make sure to work on 30–40 footers. This is the second most important distance to practice as this is the average length birdie putt you’ll face on the course. When you get confident with lag putting from this distance it makes it easier to avoid 3-putts and save tons of strokes.
If you want to be an overachiever you can also record your putting stroke while using a mirror as well. This way you can evaluate your posture, putting arc, and alignment to make sure everything is getting the ball started on the right line.
FAQs About Putting
Do you have more questions about putting? If so, keep reading through our most commonly asked questions and answers now.
What is the point of a putting mirror?
A putting mirror was created to help with eye alignment but the designs have gotten more advanced. Now they help with shoulder alignment, proper stroke mechanics, and more effective practice sessions.
Do pros use putting mirrors? Do putting alignment mirrors work?
Yes, a lot of professional golfers use (and endorse) putting mirrors.
I’ve been to several PGA Tour events and always see them using them on the putting green before rounds. One of the most popular endorsers of a putting mirror is Cam Smith – who is statistically one of the best putters in the game.
If the best golfers in the world trust these devices, so should you!
How do you use a putting aid?
There are tons of putting aids that can help different parts of your game. For example, a putting mirror can help with eye position and a proper setup.
While the Pelz Putting Tutor can help with your start line. And a putting track, like the Momentus Putting Track, can help with a more consistent stroke.
Figure out the biggest issue in your stroke and find a putting aid to help fix the issue.
My Experience
I started using a putting mirror in 2022 and can say it was one of the best investments I’ve ever made in my golf game. Despite being a scratch golfer, I knew that my putting could improve and a mirror helped improve every practice session.
After recording my stroke I found two main issues with my putting; I would crowd the ball at times and my shoulders would be open to the target. But with the help of the Pro Path Putting Mirror, I was able to fix both of these issues quickly.
Since the mirror is larger than most, I could not only check my eye alignment but my shoulders too. This had led to a better address position which improved my mechanics as well. Not to mention the built-in “pro path” on the mirror has also helped my release too.
What’s great about these mirrors is that they’re cheap and easy to use. Even if you’re on a budget and/or practice mostly at home, this is one tool you need.
Final Thoughts
Putting is one of the most important aspects of golf but often the most overlooked. So many golfers skip the practice green and head straight to the driving range instead.
But even if you spend 15–20 minutes on short putts and putting drills you can gain so much confidence in your short game. Besides, what’s the point of being a great ball striker if you don’t have the short game to shoot low scores?
Don’t neglect putting practice and mastering your performance on the greens. Invest in a putting mirror today to start getting tons of short game gains.
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