What makes Patrick Reed's use of 40 tee pegs for putting unique?

Buzz

Ngày cập nhật gần nhất: 15/4/2026

It's no coincidence that top players on the Tour spend hours practicing and refining their putting technique before tournaments. Patrick Reed is no exception.

The putting practice area at TPC Boston isn't large. Or more precisely, it's relatively small with space for about 15 golfers. Early Tuesday morning, Reed and caddie Kessler Karain created an elaborate putting drill, taking up most of the space. However, the focus isn't here as at this time, there's only one other player on the practice green.

At first glance, Reed's drill looks like a work of art or a large clock but it's actually quite straightforward. Reed uses a total of 40 tee pegs, placing each tee in eight directions around the hole at distances of three, four, five, six, and seven feet respectively.

Reed strategically positions 40 tees in eight different directions (Photo: Golf.com)

The setup phase of this drill may be challenging and time-consuming, but upon completion, Reed effortlessly begins putting clockwise. Starting with short putts, then gradually increasing the distance. After each stroke, Reed picks up the tee and moves on to putt at the next tee mark. The goal of this drill is quite simple, to complete every putt. Of course, you don't have to do them continuously.

John Graham, putting coach for some golfers including Danny Willett and Cameron Champ, based on personal experience stated: “Generally, the best putters are those who put pressure on themselves, even during practice. Some players are confident putters, they want to try short putts and see the ball go into the hole time after time”

Reed currently ranks 9th on the PGA Tour for Strokes Gained: Putting. At the upcoming Northern Trust starting tomorrow, Reed, as the defending champion, will tee off at 13:06 (local time) from tee 1, alongside big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau and Im Sungjae.