There’s something almost magical about watching Ernie Els play. He’s nicknamed ‘The Big Easy” because of his fluid golf swing, but his putting, well, that’s a whole different kind of artistry. Els has won four major titles and was even ranked world No. 1 in 1997. Today, he competes on the PGA Tour Champions and ranks 5th in putting stats, boasting an incredible 1.73 putts per hole average. Watching him putt on the greens, you realize it’s not just talent. It’s his technique, and there’s plenty we can learn from it.

One of the most common mistakes we make while putting on without realising is flipping the wrists. Another is misaligning your putter to the ball at address, and the third is an erratic stroke path that lacks rhythm and flow. Each of these mistakes costs us heavily, especially on those short putts, and it chips away at our scoring. That’s where the pendulum stroke drill by Ernie Els comes in handy. Before we dive into why this drill works, let’s understand how to perform this drill.

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Pendulum Motion Drill: A Simple 3-Step Method

1. Set up your triangle: The very first step, which is the most crucial, is learning to make a triangle with your arms, hands, and the putter shaft. Take your stance as if you’re stepping up to the ball, and let your hands naturally drop to grip the putter. The easiest way to know if you’re forming a triangle is to adopt a putting grip where both your palms are gripped very close to each other on the putter.

Then, once you adopt a comfortable stance, trap the putter shaft under your armpits so it sits snug across your chest. Look down to see the triangle formed by your forearms, hands, and the shaft. This is your mechanical guide for a consistent radius.

2. Rock the triangle: Once you’re comfortable with the triangle setup, take a couple of strokes back and forth without the ball to feel the rocking motion. So you have to imagine that your putting stroke is mirroring the motion of a pendulum. Start with smaller strokes, keeping the same tempo at impact as your backstroke.

Without worrying about the ball yet, swing the putter back and forth using only your shoulders. Keep your hands soft and resist any flicking or wrist action. Your goal is to feel the putter and forearm unit moving together in one smooth, pendulum-like motion.

Once you’ve understood the feeling and gotten a grasp of the rhythm required, you’d realise that the radius of your putting arc remains constant throughout the stroke. That’s when you’ll know that you’re performing the ‘pendulum’ motion correctly. In layman’s terms, that means that the distance from your sternum to the sweet spot on the putter never changes.

3. Integrate with the ball. Once you’re confident with the motion without the ball and it feels natural, introduce the ball. Focus solely on the stroke, letting the putter head find the ball. Maintain a constant radius from the sternum to the putter sweet spot, ensuring every stroke is controlled and repeatable.

As Els says, “Concentrate on keeping that ‘unit’ working together, your hands maintaining a soft hold on the club so that the putter head flows back and through with a syrupy smooth rhythm.” He wants you to imagine as if you intend not to hit the ball but to just “stroke” the putter and “let the ball merely get in the way of the swinging putter head.”

Now, you see?

Why Ernie Els’ Pendulum Motion Drill Works

The Pendulum Drill works because it simplifies the putting stroke and removes unnecessary moving parts. When most golfers putt, they rely too much on their hands and wrists, which can lead to inconsistent contact and an erratic putting stroke. By forming a triangle with your forearms, hands, and the club, the drill forces your shoulders to control the stroke. So there is no room for you to use your hands or flick your wrists if you imagine the entire unit to work in unison.

And when you know this movement is working as one unit, it keeps the radius of the swing consistent. When you flick your wrists or use your hands to dominate your stroke, you’d notice that your putting arc doesn’t move in the same radius every time. It becomes unpredictable.

But with the pendulum drill, you’ll learn how to maintain the radius of the arc, so the putter head travels in a smooth, predictable arc every time. Beyond consistency, the drill trains your body to feel the proper rhythm and flow of a pendulum stroke.

In just a few weeks of practice, you’ll notice a difference. The pendulum stroke keeps your putter on plane and encourages clean contact. As Els says, “Just spend a few minutes working on this drill once or twice a week, and it will certainly help you integrate a shoulder-dominated action into your proper stroke. I believe you’ll see some really positive results come from that change.”

So the next time you’re battling the yips or struggling to find your putting rhythm, remember to practice the simple Els pendulum motion drill. Let that smooth, steady motion guide your stroke and your confidence back on track.