Reducing 3-Putts

Jul 19, 2024

I was texting with my dad after his most recent round, and he lamented about his poor putting—37 total putts, with a bunch of 3-putts sprinkled in.

My advice to him was simple: SPEED, SPEED, SPEED

Focusing On Speed

Speed control is #1.

Most of us are too focused on reading lines and our putting motion. We lose sight of what matters most… SPEED.

So, how can we get better at focusing on speed?

1) Focusing on the Target

Before putting, the LAST thing I do is take one last long look at the hole.

The line should be decided at this point. If you're second-guessing it, step away and pick a line. Take a few practice strokes if you want, then do your best to focus on nothing but the hole and visualize the speed.

Cam Smith is a huge proponent of this method. In the video below from Luke Kerr Dineen, you’ll see that the last thing Cam does is take a long look at the hole before pulling the trigger.

Most of us tend to look down at the ball for an extended time, either worrying about the line and/or focusing on our stroke—this is the precise moment our brain loses focus on speed and distance control.

Focus on the target, visualize the speed, and pull the trigger.

2) Treat Anything Over 15 feet as a Lag Putt

We’re not trying to hole lag putts. We’re trying to die the ball in an imaginary circle around the hole as close as possible!

This tweet from putting coach Ross MacLeod says it perfectly:

This simple thought adjustment could drastically reduce your three putts, as evidenced by this stat from Lou Stagner:

Scratch players make it from 15 feet just 16% of the time!

The further back you are, the lower your odds of making it, and the odds of three putting get MUCH MUCH higher, as you can see in this chart below from Lou.

A 15-index has a 27% chance, roughly 1 out of 4 odds, of three putting from 30 feet. The odds of making it are roughly 7%. You are four times more likely to 3-putt than to make it from 30 feet. Choose your target accordingly!

To sum it up. As amateurs, we can drastically reduce 3-putts and, in turn, our scores if we focus on speed, especially with lag putts.

TLDR:

Focus on the target last, visualize the speed, and pull the trigger
On lag putts, our goal is to hit it close to the hole within an imaginary circle