In the world of golf, few things are more exasperating for mid-handicappers than falling victim to a dreaded three-putt after a stellar approach shot places them on the green. Despite their best efforts, these frustrating sequences can spoil an otherwise promising hole. How can golfers break this cycle? Enter the pursuit of lag putting mastery, a structured, feedback-driven approach that eliminates unnecessary strokes by honing distance control on long putts.

The Situation: The Golfer’s Current State

For many amateur golfers, especially those with mid-range handicaps, a round of golf can too often feel like a series of near-misses. You’ve placed the ball beautifully onto the green in regulation, only to squander that hard-won advantage with an elusive lag putt that misses the mark. Statistics reveal that mid-handicappers average nearly four three-putts per round. The main culprit? Limited distance control, which transforms a promising birdie opportunity into an unwanted bogey. The continuous struggle with three-putts is a major hurdle in the journey of improvement, highlighting the importance of shifting our attention to mastering lag putting.

The Approach: Structured Lag Putting Drills to Stop 3 Putts

Lag putting used to be the domain of instinct and casual practice. Nowadays, it demands careful and organized participation. The solution does not lie in casual repetition but intentional, feedback-rich sessions. Here’s how to break down the process:

1. Set Specific Objectives: Begin each session with clear goals. For instance, aim to leave every putt within a three-foot circle around the hole, commonly referred to as the “dustbin lid target.” The 10% rule offers a concrete goal, as a 30-foot putt should bring you no more than three feet away from the cup. Even for pros, chopping 90% off the putt is usually strokes gained. A 90 foot putt is not meant to be within 2 feet each time.

2. Divided Drills for Consistency: Practice is about creating game-like pressure and simulating various scenarios. Incorporate drills like the Leapfrog Drill, where each successive putt needs to cover just beyond its predecessor. This develops incremental distance control, crucial for long putts.

3. Use of Random and Pressure Practices: Instead of routine, build variability. Attempt the Distance Ladder Drill, which incorporates putting from increasing distances like 15, 20, 30, and 40 feet until you achieve the consistency needed at each range.

4. Alternate Directions: If you’re on a green with decent slow, do any of the drills above but switch back and forth which way you’re facing in-between each putt. So if you’re doing a Ladder Drill, do 2 ladder drills at once (one uphill, one downhill) and alternate to force you to readjust.

The Results: Measurable Progress

The transition from uncontrolled to controlled lag putting is massive. Anecdotal evidence from user forums such as MyGolfSpy consistently cites substantial reductions in three-putt occurrences as a direct correlation with structured practice. Players report moving from averages of four three-putts per round to under two, a highly effective improvement. Furthermore, simulation drills increase a golfer’s confidence, translating into fewer missed opportunities and more converted birdie and par putts.

A Golf.com first-person account highlights how focused drills coordinately led to the author’s “best putting day of the year,” devoid of three-putts, showcasing the transformative results of diligent practice.

Why This Matters: A Principle in Golf Improvement

Scoring well in golf isn’t confined to bombing drives down a fairway or making heroic approaches. It’s the sometimes underrated art of lag putting, the subtle finesse where feel and distance control dance in harmony, that often separates middling performances from stellar achievements. Embracing structured practice approaches, such as drills, goal setting, and pressure simulation, shifts the paradigms from perfection-oriented to improvement-centered.

By committing to regular practice, golfers can cultivate consistency and hone their instinct for long putts, fundamentally transforming their strategy on the green. This journey is emblematic of the broader pursuit of golf mastery: progress over perfection.

A Final Note

We’ll write more on this soon, but if you feel that you naturally are always erroring on one side (short or long) across multiple greens, multiple days, and multiple practice sessions, you may have a club mismatch and you’re fighting what feels natural. So keep an eye out.