Speed Kills: Eliminating the 3-Putt Disaster

Three-putting is the quickest way to ruin a good round. If you hit a drive into the trees, you might still make par. But if you take three putts from 30 feet, you have thrown a stroke away for absolutely no reason. Most amateurs think they miss long putts because of a bad read. The reality? It is almost always terrible speed control.

1. The "Dustbin Lid" Strategy

On any putt over 25 feet, your goal is not to make it. Your goal is to stop the ball within a 3-foot circle (imagine a dustbin lid or hula hoop) around the cup.

• Stress Free: Trying to hit a 4-inch hole from 40 feet creates tension. Trying to hit a 3-foot wide circle relaxes your arms.
• The Math: If you leave the ball 2 feet short or 2 feet long, you have a stress-free tap-in. If you try to ram it into the hole, you risk racing it 6 feet past.

2. The "Heads Up" Drill

Your brain is an incredible distance calculator, but you have to give it the data. When you toss a ball to a friend, you look at your friend, not your hand.

• The Drill: On the practice green, hit putts while looking only at the hole. Do not look down at the ball.
• Why it works: This disconnects your conscious mind from your mechanics ("is my stroke straight?") and connects your athletic mind to the target ("how hard do I hit this?").

3. The Fringe Ladder

The best way to calibrate your speed for the day is to ignore the holes completely.

• Step 1: Go to the practice green and find a spot 10 feet from the fringe.
• Step 2: Putt a ball so it stops as close to the fringe as possible without touching it.
• Step 3: Move back to 20 feet, then 30 feet, then 40 feet.
• The Goal: You are focusing entirely on "energy transfer." If you can consistently kiss the fringe from various distances, your speed control is dialed in.

4. Respect Gravity (Uphill vs. Downhill)

A 15-foot uphill putt and a 15-foot downhill putt are completely different shots.

• Uphill: You can be aggressive. The hill acts as a backstop. You can hit the back of the cup, which takes the break out of the putt.
• Downhill: You must be defensive. Gravity compounds mistakes. If you miss the hole on a downhill putt, the ball keeps rolling. Treat a downhill 10-footer like a flat 15-footer: just get it rolling and let gravity do the work.

Additional Reading

To master speed control and eliminate three-putts, we recommend these resources:

• 8 Practical Tips to Stop 3-Putting: A comprehensive guide on the mechanics and strategy of lag putting.
• Dave Pelz's Short Game Tips (GOLF.com): Advice from the "NASA scientist of golf" on the 17-inch rule and how to practice distance control.
• 3 Drills to End Three-Putts: A quick 20-minute routine you can do before your round to calibrate your touch.