Dave Pelz has a lag putting drill that will help you with your lag putting. This drill must be done on an outdoor putting green that is at least 70 feet long. You can not practice long lag putts on an indoor putting green.
We are all faced with those long putts where you tell yourself do not three putt it. Most golfers that I play with will three putt three to five times a round. Three putting is the one thing I hate during a round of golf. I know in my case I could shave off two to three strokes per round by just not three putting.
To solve the three putt issue you need to practice lag putting and making those three foot putts following the lag putt. A course if you make the lag putt you will not have to worry about making the three or four foot putt. Golfers on the average only make about 1% of putts from 40 to 60 feet.
So let’s take a look at Dave’s drill that I use to help me reduce three putts.
Put three tees into the practice green. The first tee is 13 steps plus one foot from the cup. That is a 40 foot putt. For the second tee step off 3 more steps plus one foot and that is the 50 foot tee. For the third tee step off another three steps plus one foot and that is the 60 foot tee from the hole.
Take three balls and place them at the 50 foot tee. Practice putting from 50 feet until you roll all three balls inside three feet. Then you take the three balls and putt them from the 40 foot tee until you roll all three balls inside three feet. Then move back to the 60 foot tee and putt until all three balls roll inside the 3 foot circle around the cup.
Then take one ball and putt it from 50 feet. Stand over the putt with confidence that you can make it as though it was the putt to win your club championship. You know you can putt inside the three foot circle since you have practiced the 40, 50, and 60 foot lag putts.
So when you lag the putt within three feet you can make the next putt every time. So go out and practice, practice, and practice those lag putts using this drill. You will reduce your number of three putts.
The Dave Stockton putting tip is that when you are putting you should not try and make the putt, you just want to roll the ball. As you may know that anything your try in golf such as not three putting or even life in may not work.
The most important things in putting is the line and speed. With speed being first. When you are putting for example a seven foot putt you want the golf ball to roll and die into the hole. Whether it is a 3 foot or a 50 foot putt you want the ball to die into the putting green hole.
Dave Stockton believes that the right feel and distance are more important than the line. Another key point is not to watch the ball after striking it. You just want to start the ball rolling to the hole.
Watch some of the best putters such as Stockton and Crenshaw and you will notice their the ball is rolling not struck or hit.
You will also make more putts if you do no try to make the putt but just getting the ball rolling. How many times have you missed a putt and putting it again and made it. The second time you putt the ball you are not necessarily trying to make the putt, you are just putting it.
Try stepping up to the ball, making no practice strokes, look at the line to hole, look at the hole the whole you are setting your feet, and start the ball rolling to the hole by putting through the ball. Remember not to watch the ball roll.
Stop trying to make putts and just roll the ball on the putting green to the hole so it dies into the hole.
There are a number of golf courses that I have played that have little rough around the putting greens. Most golf courses use the same machines to cut around the putting greens as they use to cut the fairway. That is why the rough around the greens.
This rough around the greens provides a great opportunity to putt from off the green instead of chipping. It would be like putting over several feet of fairway grass.
The problem with putting through this rough grass is that the ball will jump or even move left or right when you hit it. Yes the grass is fairly low, but it is not the grass that is cut short on the green.
Many many times golfers in my foursome have left what seems like a simple putt, over just a few feet of this fairway height grass around the putting green, way short or way long. I hear them say at times “the ball just jumped on me over the rough”.
Well, sure it did since it is rough. And you know it will happen again next time too.
So when you are faced with a putt over fairway high grass try to plan and predict how the golf ball will jump as it rolls over the grass.
Practice on working how you can control the ball as it leaves the putter face. Practice different angles as the putter approaches the ball. Try steeper. Try shallower.
Work on finding a putting stroke that will get the ball jumping over the grass the same way every time.
Those putts from off the green is not about rolling the ball. Its about learning how to control the jump of your ball, if you don’t the jump will control the ball and it will be short or long.
With regards to putting it is well known that the ball speed is king. Has always been and will continue to be the most important element of putting. The thing about speed is that If you hit the ball too hard or to easy, it just will not go in even if it is on line. Another well known saying, short putts never go in even when it is on line.
Frequently, particularly if I don’t get a chance to putt a few balls on the putting green before arriving on the first tee, I will find myself leaving putts short, or hitting the ball by the hole.
One way to compensate for this putting issue is to adjust your grip pressure.
When your putts keep coming up short try gripping the putter a little tighter while making the same stroke. You will find that the speed of the putt will come out better.
When you find yourself hitting the putts past the hole by several feet you can try loosen your grip on the putter a little bit and make the same stroke.
I have found these two tips to work most of the time when I am having trouble with my putting touch. As with golf sometimes these tips my not work for you on the course. Now what should you do?
I would suggest adjusting the width of you legs while standing over the ball.
If the ball is going past the hole too far, try putting your legs a little closer together and make a same stroke. If the ball is coming up short of the hole, try adjusting your legs a little father apart and making the same stroke.
When the tricks work for you you will start making a few putts and gain confident before you reach the back nine even on those days that you feel yourself guessing about your putting.
