[PHOTO: Emmanuel Dunand]
Aditi Ashok’s stats tell the tale of a woman who knows how to putt. Her strokes gained driving is -0.83, ranking her 148th on the LPGA Tour in 2024. Her driving was on display at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, as she was getting handily outdriven by her playing partners, yet was still in medal contention. The 26-year-old has won five Ladies European Tour events, finished fourth in the 2020 Olympics and spent eight seasons on the LPGA Tour in a big part because of her putting.
Ashok, who grew up in India, says that when she practises her putting, she doesn’t go to the putting green with a full sleeve of balls.
“Most of the time when I practise my putting, I only use one ball,” Ashok says. “Unless I’m doing a drill, I don’t like to hit the same putt twice.”
Many amateurs are guilty of grabbing a handful of balls from their bag or emptying a sleeve onto the practice green when they go out to practise their putting. The issue with that, Ashok says, is that it doesn’t properly mimic what you’re going to experience on the golf course. When you’re out playing, you don’t get three chances at every putt. You get only one.
“I try to practise a lot of different breaking putts, not stand in the same place and hit the same putt over and over,” Ashok says.
Practising with one ball will recreate the presence you have over every putt on the golf course. You may well find your focus will improve, because you only have one chance to make each putt. You’re going to give it a good effort every time, instead of potentially mentally checking in and out if you have several tries at every putt.
