50 Words or Less
The PutterCup putting trainer is a family of three putting cups designed to let you practice putting anywhere and increase the difficulty of your putting practice. Very affordable and quite challenging.
Introduction
While there is no shortage of great putting trainers (check out my Top 5 HERE), most golfers practice putting by simply rolling a few balls on a practice green or a mat in their house. Rather than trying to get golfers to use some type of device, PutterCups meets them where they are. PutterCup’s trio of putting targets allows golfers to train their line and speed control to standards that are higher than those of the course so they can have a mental edge when they tee it up.
Set Up & Ease of Use
There is no set up required to use any of the PutterCup trainers, nor any instructions. The To Go Cup simply gets tossed on the ground wherever you want to putt. You can use it on an indoor mat, on carpeting, or on a real putting green.
The other two trainers – the Speed Bump and Center Cup – work in conjunction with the To Go Cup or with a real golf hole. Insert the trainer into the cup (see below), and they created an added level of difficulty.
Effectiveness
The PutterCup family of trainers includes three different aids: the To Go Cup, Center Cup, and Speed Bump. The To Go Cup is a putting hole that you can take anywhere. What elevates it beyond a simple putting disc is the 360 degree ramp. This has two major benefits. First, it gives you the satisfaction of the ball “going in” on a successful putt. I use putting discs fairly often, but they lack the positive feeling of a real hole. The To Go Cup puts that satisfaction back into your putting practice. Additionally, the ramp makes the putt tougher. Your putt must have solid pace and a true line or else the ramp will deflect it away.
The Speed Bump was my favorite of the three trainers. It takes the things I like about the To Go Cup’s 360 degree ramp and bumps them up a notch. As someone who putts with dying speed, the Speed Bump forced me to make a more confident, affirmative stroke. It’s also very taxing on your line – you can’t expect putts to fall in the side door. Adding the Speed Bump to a regular hole adds a small amount of challenge, but stacking it with the To Go Cup was really demanding.
Finally, the Center Cup can be added to a regular cup or the To Go Cup to shrink the target. Per PutterCup, the Center Cup makes the target 25% smaller than a regulation hole. The company touts this as their most challenging trainer, though I found the Speed Bump added more difficulty for me. What I like about this trainer is that it doesn’t ask you to do anything with your stroke – it simply demands more focus and precision.
Having spent time with all three PutterCup training aids, I think they are all effective. The To Go Cup allows you to practice anywhere and raises the bar slightly. The Center Cup gives you a mental edge, making the real cup seem larger, and the Speed Bump forces you to putt with a confident pace and precise line.
Longevity
PutterCups check several longevity boxes: they’re portable, easy to use, and they work indoors and outdoors. Additionally, with the full kit, you have the ability to ramp up the difficulty to levels that will challenge a skilled player. Poor putters may find the To Go Cup a bit frustrating at first, but you can always reduce the difficulty by getting closer.
There’s nothing inherently gamified about PutterCup trainers, but the different difficulty levels give you plenty of opportunities to create games or personal challenges to add more interest to your putting practice.
Value
PutterCup sells their three trainers individually or as a kit. The Pressure Putt Pack, which includes all three trainers, retails for $35 at the time of this writing. Individually, the To Go Cup is $17, Speed Bump is $14, and the Center Cup is $11. You can support Plugged In Golf by buying them HERE.
Individually or as a kit, they are far below the cost of the average training aid. Given the low price and solid effectiveness and longevity, this is a very strong value.
Each of the training aids comes with a 30 day guarantee. If you don’t sink more putts, you can get a full refund.
Conclusion
Whether you’re practicing indoors or on real grass, the trio of PutterCup putting aids gives you a quick, easy way to ramp up the difficulty and improve your focus. Spend enough time with them, and the holes on the course will seem bigger than ever.
Visit PutterCup HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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5 Comments
I’m just curious if you prefer the PutterCup trio over the PuttOUT Premium Pressure Putt if you had to pick just one? I certainly like the slingshot lights out, but I’m not going to get the entire kit at $300 just for that.
Donald,
If I could only have one, I’d take the PuttOUT. The ball return has huge value for me.
Best,
Matt
I’ve tested all those and imho the Putter Cup is by far the most useful and will have the most longevity of the three. Lighter and more easily transportable vs the others, and way way cheaper.
Thanks!
Matt another great review of another great product. I’ve tried a ton of training aids over the years and the Putter Cup is… 1. hands down the most effective, and 2. hands down the most cost effective.
Consider that, say, 40% of the game is putting – you should be practicing it more, right? This does not force you into a “method”, it does not force you to adapt to a certain plane, it does not force you to adapt to a certain stroke, etc. … No – it forces you to focus on what’s the actual key prime directive = get the ball into the cup.