First of all, I'm a 10 index.

I find that when I focus on mechanics and not feel, my game goes to pieces really quickly.

Instead of the usual kinds of putts you describe below, I pretend to putt 9 or 18 holes of varying length. I look for putts that mirror each of the holes on my home course.

For instance, first hole is a long par 5 so I pick a practice hole / target some 30-40 feet away and try to lag my putt so I can get home in 2 = par. Second is a par 3, so I give myself a 10-12 footer and so on. I keep score against par - started out around 4-5 over par and now tend to score between even and two over.

I'd reccomend this for many feel players as it builds confidence and helps groove your feel for distance and quality of your first read.

I try to hit about 20-30 putts before a round, almost all from between 10 and 20 feet, leaning toward the latter. I simply try to guage speed, nothing else. I may practice a few 3-5 footers if I miss my first putts by that much, but don't conciously set out to make a bunch of short ones. It's almost all medium-length putts to guage speed. I play to about an 18 on my good days.

I am a five.

I wiill hit two uphill putts, two downhill putts and ten or so four footers.  It I am playing in a competition I will putt for about twenty minutes, mostly short ones.

Sometimes I'll choose a fairly level area of the practice green, stick a wooden tee in it, and putt to that tee from various distances.

Makes the cup on each green seem a whole lot bigger.

 

JJ

I love to practice, be it putting, short game and full swing.  I'll play one or two times a week but practice three or four times a week.  It takes less time and I consider it fun.  After practice, I may go play a couple of holes, but I make dedicated trips to the course just to practice.  Our putting green has some slopes and speed that there are dozens of interesting putts and I like to bring my boys and have competitions on the greens to make practice even more interesting.  The putter than won the last hole picks whatever putt he wants next.  With 16 and 14 year olds along, the putts chosen can be pretty imaginative.  When by myself, I practice long putts for speed and feel, medium putts for line and speed and short putts for line, intermingling them to keep it from being boring.  Usually end up by practicing "compass putts" where I try to make 6 foot putts with 2 balls from each of 4 points of the compass around each of the 9 pin locations.  If I miss one, I just keep going.

On days I am about to play, I just putt for about 10 minutes starting with long putts, then medium putts and finally short putts that I try to make a few in a row before I head to the nearby tee.  Our other course doesn't have a practice green (yet) so I go in with low expectations and try not to be aggressive on the first few holes.

I recently went to a more open stance (I have a heel-shafted putter) and my putting has significantly improved.  Kind of like Ray Floyd but not at all upright.  I see the line very well and make a solid stroke.

5 handicap, 5-10 minutes on the putting green before I play.

4-5 straight, flat putts from about 3 ft. with just my right hand, then the same with just my left, to get the feeling of each hand releasing the putter head.  
Then the same with my normal grip.  
Then 5 or 6 putts from the center of the putting green to the fringe in different directions, both uphill and down and breaking both ways to get the speed without worrying about making the putt.  
Then go play.

BTW, pre-round is very different from a practice session, whether it is full-swing or short game or putting.

6.8 index

I start with eight to ten 20 to 25 footers all uphill trying to set the tone for the day of making an agressive stroke. Once I am satisfied that I'm stroking through the ball instead of "hitting" or "punching" putts, I stroke about 4 or 5 ten foot downhillers for a little touch..

Next I find a fairly flat part of the green and try and make ten, 4 footers in a row, this usually takes a couple of trys, ie; I'll make 5 or 6 in a row and then miss and have to start over, I usually allow about a half hour for the whole process before I have to tee off.

Sometimes when the demon rum is invovled I never make ten in a row and run out of time, this usually translates in to a long day on the golf course.

I'm a 1 at present

I never practice putting before a social round, unless I have to wait 20 minutes for the first tee to clear.

Before a comp round I will practice 30-40 footers. Maybe hit 10-20 of these and try and two putt from where the first putts end up

Matt

My course has two practice greens, one of which is the funkiest green on the course by far.  I try to avoid this green because it's weird and doesn't replicate at all what you get out on the course.  The other green is small and can only accommodate a few players.  If it's not too crowded I'll take a few putts on this green before a typical round.  I try to make a few 4-footers from a variety of angles.  I will also take a few long putts to gauge the speed.

Loren Roberts contends that putting practice should consist mainly of hitting 40-footers and 4-footers, and I try to follow his advice.

I am a 4 handicap and time dictates part of this. However I try to hit 5 or 6 15 to 20 footers to gage green speed. A few 20 foot plus for distance and laging. Then I hit 5 or 6 10 footers with 5 or 6 or so 4 to 5 footers to set stroke and line up. If I have time i will hit a few left breakers and right breaking 5 to 10 foot puts as well. If the greens are grainy then check that as well.

Handicap:  don't carry one.

Practice putting routine:  none whatsoever.

Practice range routine:  none.  I hit other people's leftover range balls if there's any left...

Little wonder I'm completely in the toilet.  On the other hand, I can't remember the last time I 3-putted...

Is that three putts with two putters, or one?

Perenially a 9 mostly because I don't play many qualifying comps.

I will only practice putting if I am waiting for my mates or the tee to clear.  Never hit balls on the range, my back hurts enough without that nonsense.  When I do practice putting before a game it is always with one ball from 20-40 feet and I am trying to 2 putt.  Sometimes if I am annoyed that I missed a 4 footer I may stand there and hit the putt until I make it.  All told, I can take about 5 minutes of this before boredom or sore back sets in.  There is something very peculiar about how my back bends while putting because it hurts like hell - same goes for sweeping the floor.  

Ciao