The 4×45MIN Method: Improve Your Putting by 42.8% in 4 Weeks

A study conducted by PGA Professional Jonathan Mielke shows it: 4 weeks, 45 minutes a week, is all it takes to transform your putting with the Wellputt 4m Performance Mat and the Wellputt Training App.

Putting accounts for around 40% of the strokes played in any round of golf, yet it remains one of the most overlooked areas of practice. A study involving 20 amateur golfers put a simple method to the test: the 4×45MIN Method, 4 weeks of training, just 45 minutes a week. The result confirms what we've believed at Wellputt from day one: structured indoor training with the right tools makes a real difference.

The Results at a Glance

The study was conducted by Jonathan Mielke, PGA, a coach with more than 30 years of experience and over 20,000 lessons taught, at Eagle Hills Golf Course in Nebraska. Twenty amateur golfers of varying skill levels completed a four-week program built around the Wellputt 4m Performance Mat and the Wellputt Training App.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• +42.8% Putting Performance Improvement
• 4 Weeks of structured training
• 45 Minutes per week
• 3 Total hours of coached practice
• Average putting handicap: 25.0 → 14.3 (10.7-stroke improvement)

Notably, all 20 participants improved over the course of the program, no exceptions.

How to Improve Your Putting: The Two D's

To improve your putting, Jonathan Mielke explains that performance ultimately comes down to two core skills:

• Distance Control: how close the ball finishes to the hole
• Direction Control: whether the putt starts on the intended line

Too often, golfers try to get better by tweaking mechanics rather than developing these two fundamentals through structured practice. That's exactly what the Wellputt mat and app are built for: results-based training that's repeatable, with immediate visual feedback instead of an overload of technical data.

Putting Drills at Home: The Program Week by Week

Each golfer attended a weekly 45-minute session with Jonathan Mielke, built around putting drills you can reproduce at home:

Week 1, Distance Control

Ladder drills (putting from progressively longer distances) from 60 cm to 3 m, six putts per distance, on the mat, paired with the Orange Course (one of the app's progressive training programs) in the Wellputt app.

Week 2, Direction Control

Putting mirror drills with the Wellvision putting mirror, focused on face alignment and start line, at the same distances, again paired with the Orange Course.

Week 3, Combined Distance and Direction

Using the mat's stroke meter (the graduated markings that measure the length of your stroke) to refine both speed control and directional precision, paired with the Blue Course (a more advanced program) in the app.

Week 4, Performance Testing

A five-minute warm-up followed by final testing using the Mielke Golf Putting Handicap System and the Black Course (the app's most demanding program) in the app.

Beyond the Numbers: On-Course Improvements

Alongside the measurable drop in handicap, Jonathan Mielke observed several other trends among participants:

• Better Alignment: improved setup consistency

• Better Distance Control: tighter miss dispersion

• Better Tempo: reduced rushing during the stroke

• More Confidence: greater trust over putts

• Fewer Three-Putts: observed during rounds

These behavioral gains show that structured training doesn't just improve technique, it also builds confidence and consistency where it matters most: on the course.

Why an Indoor Putting Mat Changes Your Practice

One of the biggest advantages of the Wellputt indoor putting mat is that it lets golfers train at home, without needing access to a putting green. The mat provides a structured visual training environment, while the app guides progression through gamified, motivating programs.

For coaches, it's also a powerful tool: a way to deliver a structured training program that focuses on performance rather than pure technical analysis, with clear visual targets and progressive challenges that make players want to practice.

Shop the mat4m Performance€179.00

The Wellputt mat is the perfect training aid, with all the details and structure in a program to help golfers lower their putting handicap and improve their putting skills. It gives them the correct training and feedback.

Jonathan Mielke, PGA Professional

Bottom Line: Can 4 Weeks Change Your Putting?

This study shows it. With the 4×45MIN Method, 4 weeks and 45 minutes a week, golfers achieved a significant, measurable improvement in putting performance: +42.8%, an average of 10.7 strokes, with every single participant improving.

Study conducted by Jonathan Mielke, PGA, Nebraska PGA Teacher of the Year (2020) and ranked among the Top 100 Golf Instructors by GRAA.

FAQ: Your Questions About the 4×45MIN Method

Ready for the same kind of progress? Train with the 4×45MIN Method on the Wellputt app, using the Wellputt 4m Performance Mat.