golf SMARTER 150 Putting Drills with World Golf Hall of Fame Putting Champion, Juan Gutierrez
Feb 27, 2026
Juan Gutierrez, World Golf Hall of Fame putting champion and author who turned an injury into a putting career. He shares how focused practice and 150 simple drills built championship putting. Topics include his tournament wins, assessments to measure progress, alignment and ball-position drills, ladder and lag-practice routines, and a three-hour regimen to lower your handicap.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Injury Fueled Championship Putting Comeback
- Juan Gutierrez turned an injury that banned full swings into focused putting practice and won the 2011 World Golf Hall of Fame Putting Championship.
- He practiced ~700–800 hours per year for two years, entered the Hall of Fame putting event, and improved from 42nd to champion.
Get Kids Hooked By Starting With Putting
- Start kids on putting to teach success and build love for golf quickly.
- Gutierrez cites miniature golf and simple hole-focused games to develop hand-eye coordination and confidence before full swings.
Assess Putting With Standardized Metrics
- Use a standardized putting assessment to track real improvement rather than relying on casual green time.
- Recording metrics like putts made at set distances reveals if fewer putts are due to better putting or closer chips.
