Long Putting

On long putts you have to be a good judge of distance. If you have the correct speed it is almost impossible to three putt. The goal should be on long putts to have a 3-foot or less putt for the second putt. You also want to leave yourself an uphill putt if possible.

When I have a long putt I envision a 3 - foot circle around the hole and I am trying to putt the ball inside that circle. When I read long putts I pick an intermediate target about halfway to the hole and I aim at that target. I then stand behind the ball and I visualize the ball rolling over that target and tracking to the hole.

The distance to the hole determines the length of the stroke and whether it is uphill or downhill. As a reminder, you always control distance by the length of your backswing. The putting stroke is a pendulum stroke with your shoulders. To make sure you hit the ball solid, keep your head perfectly still.

As you approach the green start looking at the entire green and the slopes and this will help you read the green more accurately.

Once you determine your distance and the slope of the putt it is very important that you trust your stroke and just react. I always tell golfers that you do not have to think about how hard to toss a ball to someone and putting should be the same way. Look and react!

A good drill for practicing long putts is to put a tee in the green or practice putting to the collar from 25 – 35 feet away and try to stop the ball near the tee or collar. During this drill you are not working on mechanics but feel. You want to look at your target and putt.

Another good drill is to close your eyes and hit putts and guess if you left the putt short or long. This will help you become more aware of distance and feel.

Hopefully this will help prevent the dreaded three putt.

If you need help evaluating your game and working on your weaknesses, talk to an expert - your local PGA Professional.

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