The 1’s, 2’s and 3’s of Putting
The Myth: “Better scores come from making more Birdies!” Reality is scratch players average 1.9 more birdies per round than a 20 Handicap (HCP). That’s only 2 strokes better! Rather than tracking total putts/round, track number of 3 putts/round. Stats show reduction of 3 putts/round is more important. Scratch players 3 putt 1x/round. A 20 HCP golfer 3 putts 4.5x/round. The average golfer is 3 putting every 4 holes! Low HCP golfers may hit the approach shot a little closer than the higher HCP golfer, but the main issue in 3 putt avoidance is 1) Speed control and 2) Rolling the ball straight.
The Myth: “Never Up, Never In!” This is a guaranteed way to end up with 3 putts. If you hit the first putt 6 feet past the hole, you now have a 70% chance of 3 putting. Instead change your thinking to “Just get it close” and get the ball within 3 ft. The average golfer makes this about 85% of the time. Flip the script! It doesn’t matter if its short or long of the hole, as long as its within that 3 ft distance. You still want to take your time and get the line, but a good putt is close, even if its not up to the hole. A bad putt is more than 3ft from the hole. The average golfer 3 putts from a distance of 16ft. Scratch golfers 3 putts from a distance of 30ft. The average golfer makes 50% of putts from 5 ft, 20% from 10ft and 6% from 20ft. Good putting is 2 putts/hole. Use these stats to understand that good putting is getting it close with the first putt and tap in on the next putt. Don’t rip yourself up if you miss that 10ft putt, as long as you have a tap in next!
It doesn’t take a lot of practice or time investment to achieve this. Get to the course early and go to the practice green with 3-6 balls. Start in the middle of the green and hit them to the edge trying to get them to stop just at the edge. You are learning the speed of the green. How hard do you have to hit to get to the edge, but not go over?. Goal is to be within 6 inches of the edge. Do this twice. Now pick a hole that is 20-30ft away. Hit toward the hole using your speed knowledge, but now trying to get close to the hole. This is working on rolling straight as well as speed control. Goal is to be within 3ft of the hole either side. Cut putting distance for the next set of balls to 15ft, next 6ft, then 3ft. Now place the balls about 3ft apart going back on a line from the hole: 3ft, 6ft, 9ft, 12ft, 15ft (Ladder Drill). Hit the closest ball first and work back, away from the hole. Finish by playing around the world. Surround the hole with your balls in a 3ft circle. Work your way around the hole hitting each ball. Do this twice if you have time. The practice green will be similar to, but not exactly the same speed, as the greens on the course. You will be able to adjust quickly after doing this drill. This takes 20 mins. So get to the course early to allow time for your range balls and putting drills!
Challenge Game: You and your buddy pick a hole to putt to and place a club 3 ft behind the hole. Each player putts 3 balls. Putts within 3 ft of the hole, are worth 2 points. If a ball hits the club behind the hole, 1 point loss! Winner picks the distance of the next round. Move the backstop club closer for more challenge!
Green Etiquette-Sacred Ground!
Golf Gods favor those who care for the course! Fix your divots on the green. Use a long tee or divot tool, pull the edges of the divot toward the middle of the divot and smooth with your putter or foot. DO NOT use the tool as a lever to lift the middle of the divot. This creates a scar on the green as the roots hit the air pocket created and die. It takes 3 weeks longer for scars to heal. Fix your divot and one more for the best Karma!
MARK YOUR BALL. Don’t wait to be asked, just mark it to give a clear view for your fellow players. This also allows you to clean your ball. Dirt will effect your roll. There is also a risk to the player putting as they incur a 2 shot penalty if they hit a ball laying on the green. (No penalty if a player is chipping or pitching up to the green and hits a ball on the green)
Do Not Stand in the line of the golfer putting. This line extends from behind the player putting to beyond the hole. If you are trying to gauge the line for your own putt, you must stand aside of that line, out of their view. After they’ve made contact you may move to see their ball’s movement. It is a 2 stroke penalty for standing on the line, whether in front of or behind the player. If a player asks you to move, please just step a little further away from their view as movement in the peripheral vision can be an annoyance.
Do Not Walk the Line! Take note of where your playing partners balls or markers are and avoid stepping on the line between their mark and the hole. Footprints and spike marks may effect their putt. You may need to walk around or behind markers to get to your ball or straddle a line. You may unknowingly walk on a line, just apologize and try to be more aware of where everyone is (it happens with all of us at some time). You might have to ask where someone’s mark is if you don’t see it readily.
Shadows! Especially a problem late in the day. Stand where your shadow does not cross your opponents putting line.
Avoid damage to the green when you put equipment down. You may have a wedge or two with you if you chipped up. Place them gently around the green/fringe area. Don’t drop the club heads from height. Place the club head on the surface and gently drop the handle. (I’ve made this mistake myself and then had to use the divot tool to fix the dent from the club head!) If you pull the flag stick, don’t drag the end across the green. Lift and place it gently out of the way. Use caution lifting and replacing it in the cup so as not to damage the edge of the cup. If holding the flag, grab it so it doesn’t flutter and make noise.
Silence is Golden…. Once a player begins their putting routine, please stop talking and allow them to concentrate on their putt.
We’ve all messed up on these at some time and may again, but we strive for being better, kinder, gentler golfers on the green.
The Myth: “Better scores come from making more Birdies!” Reality is scratch players average 1.9 more birdies per round than a 20 Handicap (HCP). That’s only 2 strokes better! Rather than tracking total putts/round, track number of 3 putts/round. Stats show reduction of 3 putts/round is more important. Scratch players 3 putt 1x/round. A 20 HCP golfer 3 putts 4.5x/round. The average golfer is 3 putting every 4 holes! Low HCP golfers may hit the approach shot a little closer than the higher HCP golfer, but the main issue in 3 putt avoidance is 1) Speed control and 2) Rolling the ball straight.
The Myth: “Never Up, Never In!” This is a guaranteed way to end up with 3 putts. If you hit the first putt 6 feet past the hole, you now have a 70% chance of 3 putting. Instead change your thinking to “Just get it close” and get the ball within 3 ft. The average golfer makes this about 85% of the time. Flip the script! It doesn’t matter if its short or long of the hole, as long as its within that 3 ft distance. You still want to take your time and get the line, but a good putt is close, even if its not up to the hole. A bad putt is more than 3ft from the hole. The average golfer 3 putts from a distance of 16ft. Scratch golfers 3 putts from a distance of 30ft. The average golfer makes 50% of putts from 5 ft, 20% from 10ft and 6% from 20ft. Good putting is 2 putts/hole. Use these stats to understand that good putting is getting it close with the first putt and tap in on the next putt. Don’t rip yourself up if you miss that 10ft putt, as long as you have a tap in next!
It doesn’t take a lot of practice or time investment to achieve this. Get to the course early and go to the practice green with 3-6 balls. Start in the middle of the green and hit them to the edge trying to get them to stop just at the edge. You are learning the speed of the green. How hard do you have to hit to get to the edge, but not go over?. Goal is to be within 6 inches of the edge. Do this twice. Now pick a hole that is 20-30ft away. Hit toward the hole using your speed knowledge, but now trying to get close to the hole. This is working on rolling straight as well as speed control. Goal is to be within 3ft of the hole either side. Cut putting distance for the next set of balls to 15ft, next 6ft, then 3ft. Now place the balls about 3ft apart going back on a line from the hole: 3ft, 6ft, 9ft, 12ft, 15ft (Ladder Drill). Hit the closest ball first and work back, away from the hole. Finish by playing around the world. Surround the hole with your balls in a 3ft circle. Work your way around the hole hitting each ball. Do this twice if you have time. The practice green will be similar to, but not exactly the same speed, as the greens on the course. You will be able to adjust quickly after doing this drill. This takes 20 mins. So get to the course early to allow time for your range balls and putting drills!
Challenge Game: You and your buddy pick a hole to putt to and place a club 3 ft behind the hole. Each player putts 3 balls. Putts within 3 ft of the hole, are worth 2 points. If a ball hits the club behind the hole, 1 point loss! Winner picks the distance of the next round. Move the backstop club closer for more challenge!
Green Etiquette-Sacred Ground!
Golf Gods favor those who care for the course! Fix your divots on the green. Use a long tee or divot tool, pull the edges of the divot toward the middle of the divot and smooth with your putter or foot. DO NOT use the tool as a lever to lift the middle of the divot. This creates a scar on the green as the roots hit the air pocket created and die. It takes 3 weeks longer for scars to heal. Fix your divot and one more for the best Karma!
MARK YOUR BALL. Don’t wait to be asked, just mark it to give a clear view for your fellow players. This also allows you to clean your ball. Dirt will effect your roll. There is also a risk to the player putting as they incur a 2 shot penalty if they hit a ball laying on the green. (No penalty if a player is chipping or pitching up to the green and hits a ball on the green)
Do Not Stand in the line of the golfer putting. This line extends from behind the player putting to beyond the hole. If you are trying to gauge the line for your own putt, you must stand aside of that line, out of their view. After they’ve made contact you may move to see their ball’s movement. It is a 2 stroke penalty for standing on the line, whether in front of or behind the player. If a player asks you to move, please just step a little further away from their view as movement in the peripheral vision can be an annoyance.
Do Not Walk the Line! Take note of where your playing partners balls or markers are and avoid stepping on the line between their mark and the hole. Footprints and spike marks may effect their putt. You may need to walk around or behind markers to get to your ball or straddle a line. You may unknowingly walk on a line, just apologize and try to be more aware of where everyone is (it happens with all of us at some time). You might have to ask where someone’s mark is if you don’t see it readily.
Shadows! Especially a problem late in the day. Stand where your shadow does not cross your opponents putting line.
Avoid damage to the green when you put equipment down. You may have a wedge or two with you if you chipped up. Place them gently around the green/fringe area. Don’t drop the club heads from height. Place the club head on the surface and gently drop the handle. (I’ve made this mistake myself and then had to use the divot tool to fix the dent from the club head!) If you pull the flag stick, don’t drag the end across the green. Lift and place it gently out of the way. Use caution lifting and replacing it in the cup so as not to damage the edge of the cup. If holding the flag, grab it so it doesn’t flutter and make noise.
Silence is Golden…. Once a player begins their putting routine, please stop talking and allow them to concentrate on their putt.
We’ve all messed up on these at some time and may again, but we strive for being better, kinder, gentler golfers on the green.
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