Lag Putting Ladder with Floor Hockey Sticks

An intro-to-golf drill with standard PE equipment: in pairs, students tap a ball with a floor hockey stick so it stops in zones farther and farther away, like climbing a ladder. It builds force control in striking and focus.

How to play

1. Make 12-13 pairs. Each pair chalks a start line and four rungs 3 feet deep at 10, 13, 16, and 20 feet, with a hoop at 23 feet (3 min).
2. Teach the putting stroke: feet shoulder-width apart, both hands on the stick, and a pendulum swing from the shoulders with quiet wrists.
3. Climbing the ladder: the ball must stop in rung 1, then rung 2, and so on up to the hoop. Short or long, the player retries that rung from the start line.
4. The partner counts strokes and rolls the ball back; then they switch roles. Next they climb down, from the hoop to rung 1 (10 min total).
5. Final challenge (5 min): each player sets a personal par, the strokes they expect to need, and checks whether they make it.

Rules

• The stick never rises above the knee.
• The partner waits at the side of the lane while the other player putts.
• A ball counts only if it stops inside the lines.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: putt from a wheelchair, one hand on the stick with the elbow braced.
• Hearing impairment: the partner shows strokes and rung number with fingers.
• Skill level: students who finish easily put the non-dominant hand low on the stick.

Learning goals

• Control striking force to stop the ball at a specific distance.
• Set a personal goal and check whether it was met.
• Stay calm and focused after misses.

Equipment for a class of 25

• floor hockey sticks: 13
• tennis balls: 13
• chalk: 13
• hoops: 13

Teacher tip

Almost everyone hits too hard at first: ask for a backswing as long as the follow-through. Check that every stick has an intact end cap.

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